INEC Vows To Hold Anambra Guber Poll

• Fixes Oct 7 for candidates’ final list, presentation of voters’ register to political parties

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vowed that the worsening security situation in Anambra State notwithstanding, the November 6, 2021 governorship election will hold as planned.

To this end, the electoral umpire says “The register of voters will be presented to political parties in Awka on Thursday 7th October 2021. On the same day, the Commission will publish the final list of candidates for the election.”

The Commission also assured that it will not give satisfaction to criminal elements whose sole intention is to scuttle the poll by visiting mayhem and destruction upon the South-East state at this critical time.

Chairman of the Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, who made the pledge at the emergency meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), said available intelligence indicates those attacking INEC offices and other public institutions across the State are only bent on ensuring the scheduled gubernatorial poll does not hold.

“From the reports that we have received, the stated goal of many of the attackers is that the Governorship election scheduled for 6th November 2021 must not hold. This is worrisome for the Commission. We are deeply concerned that specific electoral facilities and materials could once more become targets of attack”, Prof Yakubu said.

He said though the importance of election security in a governorship election has never been this urgent, ongoing preparations for the exercise will be hampered should the Commission continue to lose vital materials and facilities to the hoodlums’ attacks.

According to the INEC Chairman, “Recall that in May this year, our State Office at Awka was attacked and all the non-sensitive materials assembled for the election at the time were destroyed. In addition, our store, collation centre and the main office building were either totally or substantially damaged. The Commission also lost several vehicles to be used for the election.

“Happily, we have almost fully recovered from that attack. The destroyed buildings have either been completely repaired or are nearing completion and we have fully replaced the materials destroyed.

“This rapid recovery has only been possible because this is an off-season election. We have sourced some of these materials such as the 326 electric generators and vehicles destroyed in the attack from neighbouring States.

“However, should we again lose vital materials and facilities, the ongoing preparations will be adversely affected”.

In assuring the Anambra people and residents that the electoral umpire is focused on delivering the guber poll as scheduled, Prof Yakubu said the Commission is implementing two more activities on the timetable for the election in the next few days.

He said the meeting was meant firm up “specific measures necessary to further guarantee the safety of all persons involved in the election from the voters, election officials, observers, media organisations and the security of election materials”.