The National Programs Manager of the Youths Reestablishing Values Comrade Okezie Ohalete has commended the Independent Nationa ElectoralvCommission (INEC) and the security agencies especially the Police and the military for putting up a remarkable network performance in last week’s Anambra state governorship election.
Ohalete in an interview with journalists in Awka, the state capital, pointed out that tension had become so palpable before the election that people feared there would be violence and blood letting and some even ran out of the state.
He praised the agencies, INEC and other stakeholders including the political parties and their members for seeing that the election was handled maturely which ensure that materials got to the designated racks a day before the election and that the election materials got to the polling booths as early as 7.00am which he pointed out has never happened in the state before, except for some pockets of locations.
He suspected that the error in some voters register might have happened when INEC eliminated about ninety seven thousand names as ghost voters and those who registered twice, in the state. He also identified voters apathy as part of the problems he identified during the governorship polls as only 429,549 voters participated in the exercise out of the 1.78
million people that registered.
As a result Ohalete called on INEC to perfect its register for future elections so that people would not be denied the opportunity to carry out their civic responsibilities. He also dissociated himself with the call for the cancellation of the governorship election” where do we get money for another election, we should just do the remaining supplementary election and cogratulate
the winner ”
He charged the eventual winner , dr Willie Obianor to always remember that he is carrying people’s mandate and that the only way to reciprocate their gesture is through quality governance. ” I must also state that the police backed by other security agencies proved their mettle during the election, they did their work with an usual maturity which is a reflection of attitude of IG towards policing”
