Due to the actions of gunmen in the state, the Independent National Electoral Commission has expressed concerns about the holding of elections in some areas of Anambra State in the general elections of 2023.
Elizabeth Agwu, the state’s resident electoral commissioner, voiced worry on Thursday at a meeting with stakeholders at the INEC Secretariat in Awka.
Prior to the state’s general elections the following year, the meeting’s objectives included voter education and a review of the state’s security status.
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During the discussion, some stakeholders reported that some unidentified attackers had recently set a monarch’s and other well-known local figures’ buildings on fire.
Dennis Muomaife, the president-general of the Osumoghu Community in the Nnewi South Local Government Area, informed the attendees of the stakeholders meeting that two of his buildings had been set on fire two weeks prior by unidentified individuals.
Muomaife said, “Not only that, the house of the traditional ruler of the community and that of the deputy speaker of the state House of Assembly representing Ihiala 2 Constituency were equally set ablaze.”
He also added that his community had set up a peace and reconciliation committee in making sure that such issues were tackled in less than no time, adding “we are really doing something.”
Speaking to the stakeholders, the REC said that it was past time for the young of Anambra State to seize control of their property and purge it of criminal elements.
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Agwu continued by saying that locals, not foreigners, were to blame for the South-insecurity. East’s He also said that the commission was resolved to hold a genuine election in 2023 that was free of fraud and that all votes must be counted.
She said, “This is the time for the youths to rise up in different communities to protect their people. We have prepared for the elections with materials and men. What we need from communities is to collect their Permanent Voters Cards and security. None sensible materials have been distributed already.
“Anything done that will make elections not successful in Anambra South should be resisted. Anyone caught doing abnormal things during the election will not be alive to tell the story.
“I am relying on the president general in all the communities and traditional rulers to secure their areas during the elections. Let us avoid suppressing ourselves.
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“Voter education concerns and affects everyone in this country. There are so many ways it affects us, but the problem we have here is our penchant for pursuing money.”
She claims that the Anambra South Senatorial District’s seven local government areas contain the most volatile locations.
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