The Campaign For Democracy (CD) South East Zone and Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE), have urged the stakeholders in the November 6 2021 Governorship election in Anambra State to ensure free, fair credible poll.
The groups made the call yesterday in a statement made available to newsmen in Awka, the Anambra State capital.
In the statement signed by Dede Uzor Uzor, Chairman, South East, CD and Executive Director of HURIDE, the group asked the political actors in the coming election to play by the rules of the game to ensure a hitch free election on November 6.
They challenged the political parties, the standard bearers and their supporters to resist the lure of power and avoid rigging, ballot snatching, vote buying and falsification of electoral results that may attract violence and blood bath.
In the same vein, the groups urged the election management body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy all necessary machinery and personnel to ensure that the election is not marred by unnecessary irregularities.
They said: The INEC hold the key to successful election on November 6, 2021.
If they hold their Independence so close to their chest and refuse to compromising in any way, pandering to any of the party, they will organise credible election in Anambra State”.
The group charged the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, not to take any decision that will see them tilting towards a particular party like the decision to keep election materials in Owerri Imo State controlled by APC.
The rights group also asked the security operatives such as the Police, the DSS, the Army to be neutral in dealing with all political parties, saying that they should resist the temptation of dragging them into working for a particular political party.
“This will make nonsense of the entire electoral process, create doubt and suspicion in the people about their capacity to be patriotic and impartial” said the groups.
The rights group then charged voters to troupe out on the November 6 to exercise their political franchise so as to elect the candidate of their choice as the next Governor of Anambra State.
They said if they refuse to vote and a wrong candidate emerges as the Governor, they would have themselves to blame.
Warning that lack of credible election breeds protest, violence and poor leadership, the groups urged President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure that there is adequate security before, during after the election.
They also asked the president not to influence the election in favour of a particular political party as it will damage his image as a president. Dede Uzor warned.