The Igbo Political Network (IPN), a sociopolitical organization, has urged Joash Amupitan, the newly appointed chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), to conduct himself honorably during the Anambra gubernatorial election.
According to the group, the INEC chairman needs to make sure the election is free, fair, and credible in order to win back the trust that voters nationwide have lost.
President of the group, Chief Alex Okemiri stated this in Abakaliki yesterday.
In their personal matters, he advised Ndigbo to avoid all forms of intimidation and marginalization and to keep an eye on Anambra State, which he said will serve as a litmus test for the new INEC head.
Okemiri stated that the election was still a historic political event in the Southeast, and “All eyes are on Anambra State on November 8. This election remains epochal in the state and the entire Igbo land. The political leaders from Anambra, Abia, Enugu, Ebonyi, and Imo states are interested in this very election because it’s seen as a major test on our political history as a people. And all hands must be on deck to make it a free and fair exercise; hence, the reason we are deploying our observers to monitor the election.”
I am Chief Alex Okemiri, the Igbo Political Network’s (IPN) president,” he declared. In reality, we at the Igbo Political Network (IPN) have been working to safeguard the political and economic interests of the Igbo people. Since 2015, we have worked to improve the lot of the Igbo people by ensuring that they conduct their political activities and express their ideals in a fair manner. In Igboland, we are renowned for our political equality and tranquility.
“We have also ensured votes in Igbo land count, that political thuggery is eradicated, and politicians (candidates) conduct their activities accordingly without the whims and caprices of external political manipulators. We have not left any stone unturned to ensure voters cast their votes and go about doing so peacefully.
But we also saw that everyone needs to be on the same page in order to accomplish this; politicians, security personnel, and election officials should cooperate to guarantee fairness and a calm environment.
“We call on the INEC chairman to live above board,” he stated. We urge him to use every effort to guarantee a free and fair election for the governorship of Anambra State, which is quickly approaching. He ought to do every effort to guarantee that the ballots of the people are counted.
“We want to remind him that this is his first national assignment and that the world is watching. We want to remind him also that Ndigbo are all interested in this very election and want to see how the winner and loser emerge.
Regarding the next election, “We urge the INEC chairman to be honest, unbiased, and transparent. He should know that Nigerians are already on the edge to unleash their anger on perpetrators of any political corruption.
He should also be aware that the Ndigbo are not happy with the way things are going in the country right now, so it is crucial that he refrains from doing anything that could incite resentment or violence there.
