By Okey Maduforo Awka.
The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission ANSIEC has warned any Political party found to be sponsoring thugs would face the full wrath of the law ahead of the September 28th local government election .
The Commission further warned that the guidelines for the election would not be compromised noting that in the unlikely incident of security breach the laws would be involved to the letter.
Disclosing this at Fegge Onitsha South local government area,while on a sensitization tour of the twenty one local government areas of the state the Chairman Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission ANSIEC Mrs Genevieve Osakwe who was represented by the Commissioner in charge of information Sir Tony Nnalue noted that ;
“We have no room for violence and thuggery during this election and there laws guiding the conduct of this election so we expect the political parties and their supporters to conduct themselves well as any attempt to disrupt the election would be resisted in accordance with the relevant laws”
“So we deemed it necessary to tour all the 21 local government in the state to inform the people of the election and the guidelines we would use.
“So many states have done theirs and there is no time in our favour, we would need your maximum cooperation and support, hoping to have the best,free, fair and credible elections.
Chief Nnalue reiterated that the election is not presidential or senatorial elections but home base election, family election where the aspirants are well known to the electorates, advised that the best candidates should be elected for proper and quality representative, not for selfish interest.
Assuring of the peaceful it would be, he advised the three local government areas to ensure that a serene environment is put in place for the Electoral Officers, EO to avoid technical defaults.
He however stated that it must be peacefully conducted and counted, warned those who are planning on a written results to retract because it is not going to be business as usual, assuring of their readiness to conduct the best election in the state.
In his response on behalf of the three Transition Chairmen of Ogbaru and Onitsha North Council areas the Transition Committee Chairman of Onitsha South local government area Chief Emeka Joseph Orji expressed happiness with the visit of the Electoral Commission noting that the votes of Anambra electorates would surely count .
Orji stated that the September 28th local government area would be a test case for subsequent elections in the state urging his colleagues to provide adequate security apparatus for a peaceful process.
