Anambra State Labour Party members in the National Assembly have expressed concern that State lead representative Chukwuma Soludo would use touts and non-state security forces at Saturday’s state by-elections.
To replace the slain lawmakers from the state, by-elections will be held in Anambra in the Anambra South senatorial zone for the National Assembly and the Onitsha North 1 State Constituency for the House of Assembly.
In a statement released in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, the lawmakers, acting on behalf of the Anambra State Labour Party caucus in the National Assembly, urged the country’s security chiefs to help the Nigerian Police create a calm environment so that voters can cast ballots without worrying about being attacked
State lead representative Chukwuma Soludo and his All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have concluded plans to deploy men of the state’s security outfit, Udogachi, crude revenue enforcers, also known as ndi Aka odo, and various non-state actors to take over the various voting points for the by-elections, according to a statement signed by all members of the caucus, which consists of two senators and six members of the House of Representatives.
Senators Victor Umeh and Tony Nwoye, as well as members of the House of Representatives Rt. Hon. George Ozodinobi, Hon. Afam Ogene, Hon. Emeka Idu, Hon. (Prof.) Lilian Orogbu, Hon. Peter Anekwe, and Hon. Uchenna Okonkwo, signed the statement.
They stated: “In an election where candidates of APGA are major contenders, it would be foolhardy to allow the Governor to take charge of security arrangements, especially as that would confer undue advantage on his party.
Freedom of choice, which is made possible by free and fair elections, is at the heart of democratic governance. Like several in other federation states, tomorrow’s by-elections in Anambra will serve as a barometer of our nation’s preparedness to guarantee that Nigerians’ votes are not only counted but also peacefully counted in order to reach a consensus.
Therefore, the process cannot be biased in favor of any one person, state lead representative or not, in order to accomplish this purpose. The caucus accused that Soludo was desperate to fill the two posts, particularly by using APGA equipment against Mrs. Justina Azuka, a destitute widow running to fill the vacuum left by her husband’s murder at the hands of kidnappers.
It urged on the country’s top security architecture, especially the National Security Adviser (NSA), the Chief of Army Staff, the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 82 Division of the Nigerian Army, Enugu, the Commanding Officer (CO) Field Artillery, Onitsha, the Director-General of the Directorate of State Security (DSS) and the Anambra State Director of the Service, as well as the Corps Commandant, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), to fully deploy their personnel so as to restore voter confidence in the election, as well as protect the lives of those participating in the process.
“We also want quickly point out that, as an off-season election, the attention of all participants, including candidates, political parties, local and foreign observers, and of course the media, would be focused on the process. As a people, we must therefore strive to ensure that everyone plays by the rules,” the statement concluded.
