The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said it would deploy about 20,000 personnel for a successful governorship election in Anambra State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Nkwachukwu Orji, hinted that the commission had already commenced training of staff on ground. Orji said this in Awka during a two-day workshop with Civil Society Situation Room in preparation for the governorship election.
He added that the workshop was targeted at providing platform for the civil societies to interact with the INEC management to review its activities to enable it plan for the future.
He said no less than 35 candidates from various political parties emerged from their party primaries, while revealing that some of the parties conducted their primaries in the absence of the electoral umpire.
He pointed out some of the challenges that may affect the election process include the pro-Biafra agitators, general discontentment in the Southeast region and the security challenges in the region, which might rob off in the electoral process.
The challenges already affecting job of the commission include funding, erratic power supply, policy delay and discontentment on the part of the electorate,he said.
He, however, assured that the commission would over come the challenges.Earlier, the convener of the conference and Executive Director, Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), Clement Nwankwo, said the Anambra poll would not only serve as a test run to the 2019 general elections, but would send a signal about the maturity of the nation’s electoral process and its democracy.
Nwankwo, who described the Anambra election as crucial to the commission, however, cautioned against the heavy presence of the military during the election, which he said, may scare the electorate from freely exercising their franchise.He underscored the need for adequate mobilisation of the Police to ensure they carry out their mandate efficiently.
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