By Olusegun Olanrewaju, David Lawani and Cajetan Mmuta
The Federal Government yesterday threatened to declare emergency rule in Anambra State over the escalating spate of killings and destruction of properties in parts of the state.
The move is to ensure the sanctity of the November 6 governorship election in the state.
The Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, indicated while fielding questions from State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Abuja.
Malami said nothing is ruled out in the determination to ensure a hitch-free election in Anambra State.
The AGF said, “When our national security is attacked, and the sanctity of our constitutionally guaranteed democracy is threatened, no possibility is ruled out. As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure the sustenance of our democratic order. As a government, we have a responsibility to provide security to life and properties.
“So, within the context of these constitutional obligations of the government or the desire to establish democratic norms and order, there is no possibility that is out ruled.
“The government will certainly do the needful in terms of ensuring that our elections are held in Anambra in terms of ensuring necessary security is provided, and in terms of ensuring protection is accorded to lives and properties.
“So, what I’m saying in essence, no possibility is out ruled by the government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra hold, and you cannot out rule possibilities inclusive of the possibility of a declaration of a state of emergency where it is established, in essence, that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties, and democratic order.
Malami continued, “So, our position as a government is the election is going to hold necessary security in terms of democratic order most certainly prevail for this election.
“We resolved to have these elections the elections are going to hold and no possibilities are ruled out in terms of ensuring the provision of security, for the conduct of the election, as well as Anambra is concerned.”
Recall that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu on Tuesday expressed concern over what he described as escalating security threats in Anambra, ahead of the governorship election.
Yakubu said that during the last Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) quarterly meeting on September 9, a major concern was raised by the committee on the security situation in Anambra and the adjoining states.
He said the concern was raised on how the situation might affect preparations and possibly the conduct of the Anambra election.
Yakubu said that unfortunately, the situation had deteriorated since the last meeting, as many innocent lives had been lost and property destroyed in the state.
Also, the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Baba Usman on Tuesday sacked the Anambra State Commissioner of Police Mr Tony Olofu and deployed Mr Echeng Ewoo Echenge to take charge of the state command.
The latest move was not unconnected with the violent eruptions in parts of the state which also saw the assassination of Dr Chike Akunyili by unknown gunmen at Nkpor, near Ogidi, in the commercial town of Onitsha.
•PDP cautions against declaring a state of emergency
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned against contemplations of imposing a state of emergency in Anambra ahead of the governorship election.
The party gave the caution in a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbondiyan in Abuja yesterday.
The party said that the Federal Government has the power to maintain peace in Anambra, before, during and after the state election.
The PDP held that the reported move to foist an emergency rule in Anambra state was a ploy to suppress the people, manipulate the process and rig the governorship election for the All-Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidate.
The party said its demand was predicated on apprehensions in the public space that the spate of insecurity in Anambra was contrived to heighten tension in the state to derail the democratic process.
The PDP also urged the people of Anambra state to remain calm and take steps within the ambits of the law to resist plots to derail the state electoral process in an inordinate ambition to seize Anambra through the back door.
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•Ohanaeze blames South-East govs
Meanwhile, with hard words, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide, yesterday accused the governors and leaders of the southeast states of compounding the woes of their people over their seeming indecision to speak out on the state of the nation, especially as it relates to the activities of secessionist group, Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) in the troubled region.
In a statement by its Secretary-General, Okechukwu Isiguzoro, the group also lamented what it called the “ineptitude of the southeast political leaders to show bravery, heroism, and political will to voice the truth to President Muhammadu Buhari on where he is not getting it right in the southeast.”
This is coming after a meeting of the South-East Governors Forum in which the governors promised to formally establish the much-talked-about ‘Ebube Agu’ security outfit in all southeast states before the end of the year.
The governors said this was part of their eight-point agenda during a meeting that took place at the Enugu State Government House on Tuesday.
“The meeting agreed that the South-East Ebube Agu security outfit is launched in all the southeast states and laws passed in various southeast states before the end of 2021,” the communique read.
But Ohanaeze said the non-committal posture of the governors “accounts for the adversities and calamitous impediments that has befallen the Igbo, cognisant of the fact that Abuja holds the remote controls of most actions of the southeast politicians”.
The group also accused most of the southeast governors of being reluctant to make sacrifices for the region, adding that they are only inclined to trading off the Igbo’s interests for Abuja for enticements and inducements, “in compensation for doing Abuja’s bidding and interests in the East “.
“We must caution Igbo politicians of the dangers and pitfalls of calamity ahead. The approaching one-month sit-at-home are typhoons and hurricanes that might sweep out some political office holders from their offices if care is not taken.
“The adoption of cosmetic approaches by governors to the impending civil disobedience and war that looms in the southeast is tragic. The double standards exhibited by Southeast governors and leaders gave non-state actors the legitimate advantage to press for upcoming one-month sit-at-home order,” Ohanaeze submitted.
