The Inspector-General of Police (I-G), Mr Usman Baba, has assured of peaceful conduct of the forthcoming Nov. 6 Anambra governorship election.
Baba gave the assurance at a roundtable on “Anambra Gubernatorial Election: Matters Arising” on Tuesday in Abuja.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the forum was organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS).
The I-G was represented by CP Ebong Eyibio of the Federal Operation, Force Headquarters.
According to him, the election is an enormous task that the police are poised to ensure security of lives and election materials.
“We are prepared for the election. Anambra is one of the volatile states we have taken particular precautionary measures to ensure the electorate and election materials are well protected before, during and after the election.
“There are very volatile areas. We have divided the state into area commands and divisions including Awka and Nnewi.
“We are doing an analysis to ascertain who are the people that are likely going to give us problems, like the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network (ESN).”
Also, Country Director, ActionAid, Mrs Ene Obi said, “the governorship election in Anambra is starting on an acrimonious state.
“In spite of the enormous efforts to ensure political parties play by their own Constitution, the party members have continued to conduct their nomination processes without recourse to internal democratic principles.
“This was evident in the primaries that had been conducted by some parties.”
She said that the amount of money alleged to have been spent by the parties for their primaries was alarming.
“There seems to be no clear candidate for the big political parties and this is confusing electorate following the poorly conducted primaries.
“As it stands now, voters are not sure who the candidates of the parties are.
“These parties ought to have shown some maturity at this stage haven been in power at different points. Going into the elections, the primaries could have a multiplier effects on the election proper, especially as regards to security,” she said.
Earlier, the Director-General NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said the election in the state was coming at a time when Nigeria was faced with enormous security challenges.
“In particular on agitations for self-determination by IPOB and the activities of its military wing, the ESN has heightened tension across the entire South-east.”
Sulaiman called on stakeholders to improve resilience against the threat posed by criminal organisations, misinformation, voting vulnerabilities as well as the challenges posed by COVID-19.
On his part, the All Progressives Congress (APC) Assistant Director, Publicity Mr Olusegun Dada, said the APC was the only party prepared for the election.”
On why the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate was missing from INEC’s list, the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr Kola Ologbodiyan, said “the party is standing by its candidate, Valentine Ozigbo.” (NAN)
