11 Days To Anambra Election, INEC Reveals Readiness, Says Non-Sensitive Materials Deployment Almost Concluded

INEC has received 25 fresh applications for party registration

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC on Monday said it has successfully accomplished 12 out of the 14 activities listed in the timetable and schedule of activities for the November 6 Anambra Governorship election released in January this year.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this today at a special meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee On Election Security (ICCES) on the Anambra Governorship election held at the INEC conference room, Abuja.

The meeting was attended by the National Security Adviser who is a Co-Chair of ICCES, representatives of various security agencies, National Commissioners and Senior Officials of the Commission, members of the INEC Press Corps, among others.

Briefing the meeting, the INEC Chairman said the two outstanding activities in the election schedule, are the last day of campaign, at midnight on Thursday 4th November 2021 and Election Day which is Saturday 6th November 2021.

“The 2021 Anambra State Governorship election is holding in the next 12 days on 6th November 2021.

“Our deployment of non-sensitive materials and training of personnel for the election have virtually been concluded,” he said.

Yakubu said the INEC is determined to proceed with the Anambra State Governorship election as scheduled, but maintained that the safety and protection of voters, its personnel, accredited observers, the media and materials remain cardinal considerations in any election.

“We have been assured by the security agencies of a secure environment for the election.

“I wish to place on record the continued support of security agencies to the Commission during elections.

“Particularly noteworthy is the high level of professional conduct of the agencies in the last two major elections in Edo and Ondo States.

“Indeed, Edo and Ondo have become the standard for securing elections in Nigeria.

“The professionalism and neutrality exhibited by the security agencies in the two elections have been widely praised nationally and internationally.

“We are confident that this will be replicated in Anambra State,” he noted.

The commission expressed gratitude for the support it has received from religious, traditional and community leaders for peaceful elections.

It said it is also working with the National Peace Committee under the leadership of former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, to bring all political parties and candidates for the Anambra State Governorship election, to commit to peace before, during and after the elections.

“We appreciate this wide-ranging support and I wish to reassure the registered voters in Anambra State that the choice of the next Governor lies in their hands.

“I urge all and sundry to play their part in ensuring a free, fair, credible and peaceful Governorship election in Anambra State,” he said.

He revealed that two INEC National Commissioners were sworn-in this afternoon by President Muhammadu Buhari.

“Let me therefore welcome to the Commission, and introduce to ICCES, Kunle Cornelius Ajayi, a Professor of Political Science at the Ekiti State University and Muhammad Sani Kallah, a retired Professor of Ecology and Range Management at the Ahmadu Bello University Zaria as the new National Commissioners representing the South West and North West geo-political zones respectively.

“As the new National Commissioners can see, work in INEC begins in earnest.

“You have joined the Commission on the eve of a major election and your first activity is this ICCES meeting.

“Next week, we will move to the field in Anambra State,” he said.

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