By Cajetan Mmuta
A total of 76, 104 registered voters in six local government areas of Anambra state may be disenfrachised in Saturday’s Governorship election in the state.
The affected local government areas include Anambra East, Aguata, Idemili North, Dunukofia, and Onitsha South local government areas.
The Yiaga Africa, an election watch group, disclosed this on Sunday in Awka the state capital.
Deputy board chairman, Yiaga Africa, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu explained that the group’s findings followed its Watch the Vote pre-election observation.
He said voters who got registered during the Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in the state which stood at about 76,000 could be disenfranchised because of delay in getting their voter’s cards from the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC).
He listed violations of the electoral code of conduct, election violence threats and volatility of the state resulting from the threats by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to shut down the Southeast region from November 5 as some factors that would adversely affect the election.
Nwagwu said “We commend INEC on its efforts to distribute permanent voters cards from previous registration exercises. However, Yiaga Africa is worried that with less than a week to the elections, the Commission is yet to commence distribution of Permanent Voters Card to the 76,104 newly eligible voters who recently got registered during the Continuous Voters Registration in the state.”
According to the body, “While there were distributions of PVCs in 16 local government areas, there was no record of the distribution of PVCs in Anambra East, Aguata, Idemili North, Dunukofia and Onitsha South local government areas.”
Also, Yiaga director of programmes, Cynthia Mbamalu said, “There were also reports of physical attacks during political parties’ campaign rallies in Ihiala and Nnewi local government areas. Assailants attacked candidates and supporters of APGA during the party’s rally in Ihiala where one person was shot in the leg.”
“Also in Anambra East and Ihiala local government areas, Yiaga Africa’s observers reported “excessive use of force and intimidation by security forces (military personnel)” on people.”
Anambra: Voter apathy, not insecurity major threat to election – Yiaga Africa
The group commended INEC for ensuring free, fair, and credible poll and called for more consistent and harmonious coordination within the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security to forestall violence incidences and ensure the safety of voters and poll officials.
“As a matter of urgency, INEC should collaborate with Civil Society Organizations, National Orientation Agency (NOA), and other relevant stakeholders to amplify and intensify voter education and inspire confidence in voters across the state.
“Security agencies should ensure their personnel are adequately trained on election security before they are deployed for the election while deploying monitoring mechanisms to checkmate and curtail personnel excesses,” it stated.
