By Ifeizu Joe
A coalition of accredited observers have ranked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) high in their preparation for the governorship election in Anambra State, which comes up on Saturday, November 8.
The group in a press briefing late Thursday also expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness of Anambra people, while calling on the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest vote buyers.
The coordinator, Grassroot Development Centre for Peace and Social Justice, Augustine Okafor, and the Chairman, Initiative for Promotion and Civic Obligation for Sustainable Peace, Sarki Danjuma, spoke on behalf of the coalition during the press briefing in Awka.
The coalition which include over 350 observers deployed across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state, to observe the level of preparedness of all the key actors in the electoral system said they are satisfied with the readiness of all groups involved in the election.
The group said they will also monitor the conduct of Saturday’s election and subsequent conduct of the people after the upcoming election.
The coalition commended the timely distribution of non-sensitive electoral materials by the INEC, adding that the transparency with which the exercise was conducted shows their readiness to conduct a free, fair and credible exercise.
It also appreciated the security agencies in the state, as well as the state government, for intensifying efforts to reclaim areas that were hitherto under the control of criminals, applauding the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun and other heads of security under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), for the deployment of over 60,000 security personnel across the State to ensure adequate security for the election.
A text read on behalf of the observers also charged political actors and security agents to ensure they conduct themselves peacefully throughout the period of the election.
Part of the text read: “Political actors should respect the peace accord and maintain issue-based engagement. They must demonstrate maturity, tolerance, and discipline throughout the process. Any form of violence, hate speech, should not be tolerated, and severe sanctions should be melted out to violators.
“Security agencies should provide robust protection for voters, election officials, and materials and should also ensure strict enforcement of movement restrictions on Election Day.
“We call on security agencies to conduct clearance operations in the identified flashpoints and maintain robust presence in these areas to neutralize threats and apprehend potential troublemakers to forestall any security breach.
“The political environment in Anambra State remains largely peaceful and conducive for credible, free, and fair election.
“Our observers have reported no significant incident of political thuggery or violence during campaign activities.
“There is level playing field, and the insistence by INEC and the security agencies against the ‘use of incumbency power to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate,’ as prohibited by the constitution and the Electoral Act, 2022, is enhancing voter confidence and discouraging voter apathy,” the group said.
“The security agencies and the Economic and Financial Crime Commission (EFCC) should fight against vote-buying, which undermines democracy and erodes public confidence in the process.
“The principle of One Man, One Vote should be adhered to: We the Coalition of INEC Accredited Observer Groups for Credible and Transparent Elections stand firmly for the principle of “one man, one vote” as enshrined in Section 53(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which states that “no voter shall vote for more than one candidate or record more than one vote.
“We vehemently oppose any attempts to undermine this fundamental democratic Principle of our nation.”
