By Cajetan Mmuta
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said on Wednesday that the November 6, 2021 governorship election in Anambra State is to test the resilience of the nation’s democracy and democratic institutions.
National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye stated this on Wednesday at a stakeholders meeting organized by the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and the Inspector General of Police, IGP Usman Baba held at the Professor Dora Akunyili Women Development Center n Awka in Awka the state capital.
He said in spite of the obvious difficulties, the Commission has left no stone unturned in the taste of mobilizing resources for a hitch-free and peaceful election.
Okiye noted that “the Commission conducted the Edo and Ondo governorship elections under very difficult circumstances. The Commission conducted elections at a time of global uncertainties and fear accentuated by a pandemic whose unique nuances were still evolving. The Commission conducted elections at a time when advanced countries rescheduled, postponed, or abandoned their elections on account of the pandemic.”
He also harped on the need for state and nonstate actors to create an enabling environment for peace to thrive at all times.
He said, “The Anambra Governorship election has its own unique features and characteristics. It is being conducted in difficult circumstances. The election will further test the resilience of our democracy and democratic institutions. It will test our determination and resolve to conduct elections in difficult circumstances.”
“The fact must be acknowledged that the ongoing agitations in different parts of the country including Anambra State is not new to deeply divided societies like Nigeria challenged by contestations around nationhood and citizenship,” he stated.
According to him, “In these agitations, democracy still offers the best opportunity for addressing them in a peaceful manner and that’s why it is in the interest of Nigeria and those genuinely interested in a stronger Nigeria and the progress of the country’s electoral democracy to create enabling environment for peaceful election on Saturday, November 6, 2021.”
National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu disclosed that voters who failed smart card accreditation would not be allowed to vote.
He explained that the Commission has enough technical staff to attend to problems that could crop up during the conduct of the election.
Yakubu who dispelled the fear of nonavailability of voters cards being entertained by some stakeholders pointed out that voting materials would not be supplied to 86 of the 5,720 polling units across the 21 local government areas of the state, as there were no voters allocated to them.
However, the commission expressed displeasure that most candidates of the 18 participating political parties and chairmen of the state chapters of the parties did not attend the meeting.
Anambra guber: We have made water-tight security arrangements – IGP
The only candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) Prof Charles Soludo and that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Chief Valentine Ozigbo were present at the meeting held amid tight security.
The Candidates of the APC, Senator Andy Uba and his Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Chief Obiorah Okonkwo had later walked into the venue.
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), in the state Dr. Nkwachukwu Orji, earlier said that all the participating candidates and leaders of their respective political parties were duly invited to the meeting.
He said, “We invited all the stakeholders to this meeting. We invited all the political
