EditorCHAIRMAN, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has stated that the November 6 Anambra governorship election was under threat.
Following the heightened human and material losses witnessed in and around the state since the committee met last month, Prof. Yakubu, summoned an emergency meeting of the Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) at INEC headquarters, Abuja, warning that activities of secessionists are threatening the conduct of the governorship election.
The INEC boss also expressed serious concerns about the safety of INEC staff, ad hoc staff of the commission as well as security personnel who are also being targeted by the attackers.
In his words, “the commission is particularly concerned about the safety of voters and election day staff, including security officials who have also become the targets of these attacks.”
“The thousands of young Nigerians that we intend to deploy for the election, most of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and university students, need to be reassured of their personal safety.”
“At the same time, deployment for the election will involve the movement of huge consignments of sensitive and non-sensitive materials to the 21 local government areas of the state, 326 wards or registration areas and 5,720 polling units.”
“That means over 6,000 locations to be protected. If we add that to about 26,000 officials that will be deployed for the election, we begin to appreciate the magnitude of the challenge of securing the Anambra governorship election which is only thirty-two days from today.”
Meanwhile, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Babagana Mongonu, has reassured that the security agencies will secure lives and property before, during and after the election scheduled for November 6.
Represented by Salisu Galadima, the NSA acknowledged that the violent activities of a separatist group in the South-East constitute a clear and present danger to the nation’s democratic consolidation, noting that the group is bent on scuttling the election.
He, however, assured that the government is committed to the protection of the lives of law-abiding citizens in Anambra State and called on peace-loving sons and daughters of South-East extraction to join hands with constituted authority to promote peace and development in the region.
The NSA said already the effort to ensure a secure poll on November 6 has flagged off with the Operation Golden Dawn, recently launched in Enugu, adding that the government is working with governours of the states in the region to address the underlying economic issues driving insecurity across the country.
Recall that the offices of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), was set ablaze, alongside the home of Joe Igbokwe, an aide of Governor Babajide Sanwo- Olu, was also set ablaze in Nnewi, Anambra State.
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