Anambra LG poll holds October 5

The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission has fixed October 5 for the conduct of local government election in the state.
The Acting Chairman of the commission, Sylvester Okonkwo, announced the date at a Stakeholders Meeting in Awka, the state capital, on Monday.
Okonkwo assured them of the commission’s readiness to conduct hitch free elections.
Okonkwo said the process had started with the notice of election adding that other activities would commence soon.
He recalled that the last council election was conducted in the state in 1999 while attempts were made to organise the polls in 2001, 2004 and 2005 but did not hold for security reasons.
Okonkwo said the commission would use the voters’ register from the Independent National Electoral Commission to conduct the poll, adding that adequate plans had been put in place to prevent snatching of ballot boxes.
The chairman solicited the support of all political parties and other stakeholders toward ensuring credible, free and fair elections.
The state Chairman of the Action Congress of Nigeria, Joseph Obidike, said the notice of election was a welcome development.
Obidike expressed the hope that the commission would be serious this time around “to avoid a situation that would look like rat race.”
The factional Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Mike Kwento, said: “The state had waited for close to 15 years without having democratic structures at the grassroots.”
The Co-ordinator of the Movement for the Conduct of Local Government Elections in Anambra, Ositadimma Obi, described the announcement as good news and historic.
Obi, however, warned that any attempt to disrupt the process would not be accepted by his group.
He called on the people of the state to cooperate with the commission toward the success of the council poll.
The state Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party, Kenneth Emeakayi, said the party’s position would be made known after a careful study of the election notice and interaction with the commission.