Electoral commission fixes Anambra LG polls for Oct 5 Our Reporter June 25, 2013 10 Comments » From DAVID ONWUCHEKWA, Nnewi The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has fixed October 5 for the conduct of local council elections in the state. The elections are for 21 chairmanship positions and 327 electoral wards in the state. The Acting Chairman of the commission, Mr. Sylvester Okonkwo, who made the disclosure at a stakeholders’ meeting in Awka on Monday, said the commission was ready to ensure an hitch-free election. Okonkwo said the election as a process had started with the release of the notice of election and that other activities would commence immediately. He recalled that local council elections were last conducted in the state in 1999 while attempts were made in 2001, 2004 and 2005 to organise the polls but were unsuccessful due to security reasons. Okonkwo said the commission would use the voters’ register from INEC in the state to conduct the polls, adding that adequate plans had been put in place forestall ballot box snatching. The commission boss solicited the support of all political parties and other stakeholders in the state towards ensuring a credible, free and fair conduct of the elections. In a reaction, the state Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr. Joseph Obidike, said the notice of election was a welcome development. Obidike expressed hope that the “commission would be serious this time to avoid a situation that would look like rat race.” The factional Chairman of the All Progressive Grand Alliance (APGA), Mr. Mike Kwento, expressed excitement over the notice, saying “the state had waited for close to 15 years without having democratic structures at the grassroots.” Also speaking, the Coordinator of the Movement for the Conduct of Local Government Elections in Anambra, Mr. Ositadimma Obi, described the announcement as good news and historic. Obi, however, warned that any attempt to disrupt the process would not be accepted by his group. He called on the people of the state to cooperate with the commission towards the success of the council polls. Also, Mr. Kenneth Emeakayi, the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), expressed concern over the announcement, saying the position of the party on the development would be made known after careful study of the election notice and an extensive interaction with the commission.
Posted on: Wed, 26 Jun 2013 23:08:07 +0000
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