#AnambraDecides: Fears, anxiety as Anambra elects new governor

Saturday, November 6, 2021 11:16 am

Ad-hoc staff setting up voting equipment for the Anambra governorship election

By Jethro Ibileke

Charles Chukwuma Soludo, Andy Uba and Valentine Ozigbi are the three leading candidates on the ballot of 18 persons jostling to succeed Willie Obiano as polling stations open across Anambra for governorship election this Saturday.

The election is being conducted under an unusually heavy security deployment necessitated by fears that secessionist group, the Indegeneous People of Biafra, IPOB may disrupt the election.

Ahead of the election, gunmen suspected to be members of the Eastern Security Network, ESN, the militant arm of IPOB had attacked the facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC in Anambra, destroying vital electoral materials and equipment.

Also, political parties were forced to retreat from organising big rallies after attacks by unknown gunmen on their campaign ground.

The attacks were believed to be part of the campaign of the secessionist group that it will not allow any election to hold in the entire Southest until the Federal Government allowed the holding of a referendum on its demands that the region should be allowed to secede from the country to form an independent republic of Biafra.

Also, the group had threatened to declare a sit at home over the entire Southeast for one week beginning from a day before the election to protest the court ordered detention of its leader, Nnamdi Kanu in DSS custody.

In response to the threats by the group, President Buhari had ordered massive deployment of security personnel and assets to Anambra while insisting that the election must hold.

But as the massive deployment of security operatives gather momentum, IPOB last Thurday called off its sit at home order. It also encouraged the people of Anambra to go out and vote.

Nevertheless, the election today is being conducted under heavy security deployment.

Inspite of this, residents of Awka, the State capital had begun began coming out of their respective homes early as 7 am for the voting exercise on a cautious note.

There’s an intimidating presence of security operatives everywhere.

At about 8 am when our Correspondent visited Ezenifite Town Hall, Okpuno, in Awka South LGA, INEC adhoc staff were seen waiting to receive voting materials for onward movement to their respective polling centers.

Three polling units, 008, 018 and 019, ward 19, polling officers were already setting up their equipment in readiness for the voting activities.

The hall also serves as Registration Area Centre (RAC) and collating center.

The Registration Area Officer, Ibrahim Ganiyu, disclosed that they worked overnight at the center to ensure that adhoc staff move to the field as early as possible.

He, however, said that the NYSC adhoc staff still need to be guided on the process of the election.

An INEC adhoc staff, a member of the NYSC, who did not want her name mentioned in print, told our Correspondent that the official time for the commencement of accreditation and voting is 8.30 am.

Reports from other local government areas across the state, also had it that voting was yet to commence at 8.30.

A 63-year-old woman, Madam Theresa, told our correspondent that she came to exercise her franchise as a good citizen of Nigeria.

“I am 63-years-old. I am a native of Cross River state, but my late husband is from this town. I came out to vote as a good citizen of Nigeria. I am not afraid of any kind of harassment or intimidation. Even if they shoot me, I will die and go to where my late husband is,” she said.