The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) assured Nigerians on Wednesday that it is ready for the upcoming governorship election in Anambra State.
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the commission’s Chairman, told a joint Senate and House of Representatives Committee on INEC that the agency’s ad-hoc workers had been thoroughly trained for the vote.
The INEC chairman also stated that all local governments in Anambra had received election materials. He also informed the committee that INEC had recovered from the attacks on its facilities and that the poll will go place on November 6.
“We have successfully carried out 12 of the 14 activities we should do; the only outstanding activities are on the last day of campaigns by political parties which are going to be in the next eight days, and the election proper on the 6th of November,” he said.
“We have recovered from the series of attacks on our facilities, and I am happy to say that we have deployed all relevant materials not only to Awka but all the local government areas.
“We have trained the requisite number of ad-hoc staff for the election and we have also mobilised the transport owners for logistics. As far as INEC is concerned, we are prepared,” Professor Yakubu declared.
However, there have been concerns that the unrest threatening peace in the Southeast could taint the polling process.
In light of this, INEC met with Babagana Monguno, the National Security Adviser, and at the discussion, Professor Yakubu lamented the rising insecurity in Anambra, warning that the number of attacks in the state could jeopardize the commission’s election preparations if not addressed correctly.
The Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, ordered the deployment of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Joseph Egbunike and other Assistant Commissioners of Police in an attempt to bring the situation under control.
He also ordered the deployment of over 34,000 people to the state, as well as the announcement that three helicopters would be dispatched for election observation.
Following a meeting with Nigeria’s security leaders, President Muhammadu Buhari urged the Nigerian Armed Forces and law enforcement agencies to guarantee that no group or individual in Anambra State is permitted to promote anarchy and disruption.
