The leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stated that the commission would go ahead to conduct the poll in the state, despite the state of insecurity posing serious challenge on the November 6, Anambra Gubernatorial election.
This is even as the Nigeria Police Force has declared its readiness to ensure adequate security in the state during the exercise, dismissing fears of a possible declaration of a sit-at-home by separatist group(s) on the election day.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu who was represented by a National
Commissioner and Chairman of the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Barr. Festus Okoye urged politicians to refrain from casting aspersions on the commission, saying propaganda does not work elections.
Vowing that only the votes of Anambra people will determine who be ones the next governor of the state, Okoye also explained how INEC stores its nonsensitive election materials.
Okoye said; “Only the votes of Anambra people will count. It will determine who wins the election. Propaganda won’t do it.
“On the issue of where we store our electoral materials, this commission and previous commission’s have always had what we call zonal stores in different parts of the country where we store nonsensitive materials. After the elections, we embark on what we call reverse logistics. We return those materials to the stores.
“These materials are not provided off the shelf. Three is also a procurement process.
So, when the contractors supply these materials, we put them in the zonal stores. There is a zonal store in each geopolitical zone.
“Our offices in Anambra were burnt and as of then we had deploy over 50 percent of nonsensitive materials in Anambra state. But we have fixed some of the damaged facilities and in the coming days we shall move materials from our various zonal stores to Anambra where we will batch them an deploy to the local governments”.
On the security situation in the state, Okoye expressed confidence in the ability of all stakeholders to ensure a hitch free exercise in order to avert any possible constitutional crisis.
