Jega, 21 Commissioners to Conduct Anambra Guber Election

*As PDP denies working for APGA

 NOVEMBER 2, 2013 -

Prof. Attahiru Jega, Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and six national commissioners will conduct the Anambra governorship election on November 16, even as the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) insisted it was not working with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).

The INEC Administrative Secretary, Oscar-leo Amaechi, who made this known in Awka on Friday, said 15 Resident Electoral Commissioners were also expected in the state.

Amaechi spoke at a stakeholders meeting of Inter-Agency Consultative Security Committee with political parties and candidates.

He reiterated the preparedness of the Commission to conduct free and credible poll.

The Commission, he said, would move election materials to registration centres close to polling booths to ensure that the election commenced at exactly 8 a.m.

The administrative secretary urged political parties to submit the names of their agents on time to enable the Commission train them on their roles during the election.

He warned that INEC would not allow substitution of agents on Election Day.

Meanwhile, the PDP in Anambra State has described as “cheap" the rumour that it was working with APGA towards the governorship election.

The Chairman of the party,  Kenneth Emeakayi, told newsmen in Awka on Friday that it would not be benevolent to any political party involved in the election.

``Who will be proud to be an appendage to another political party?" he asked, saying that rather than support another party, "it is the others that will concede defeat to the PDP".

He said the PDP was in the governorship race to take over the governance of the state, saying "the message remains that voters should vote for PDP during the election".
Reacting to the Supreme Court ruling restraining the party’s aspirants from further campaigns pending its judgment on November 4, Emeakayi said “the party is yet to be briefed”.

“We have not seen the order made by the apex court of the land but from what we read or saw on the television, the Supreme Court restrained aspirants or parties in the suit from campaigning till Monday.

“Until we are told to the contrary, the implications of the order is that Tony Nwoye or Nicholas Ukachukwu or Andy Uba, as the case maybe, are not allowed to campaign between now and Monday.

“But I do not believe, unless otherwise stated, that the order restrains the PDP as a party from campaigning," he said.

He said the national leadership of the party had asked the state chapter to continue with the campaign "because the campaign is not for any candidate but for the party which is contesting the election.

“As you already know, it is not the name of any candidate that appears on INEC ballot. It is the political party and we are in the race and we are serious about it,” he added.

The chairman expressed confidence that the party would emerge victorious at the polls "even with the short period it has to campaign for the eventual candidate," insisting that "Anambra is a PDP state".