BY BENEDICT NWACHUKWU AND MAYOWA SAMUEL
Anambra State faces the risk of a declaration of a state of emergency by President Muhammadu Buhari should the spate of insecurity in the state fails to abate before the November 6 gubernatorial election.
INEC Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, revealed this in Abuja.
Okoye said the South East state should not succumb to pressures bent on disrupting the forthcoming election as the consequences would be more disastrous than imagined.
He said failure to conduct the election will leave the federal government with three scenarios that would not be palatable to the people of Anambra State and warned that it would be in their good interest that the election is conducted on the scheduled day.
“The President has the constitutional rights and provisions to declare a state of emergency in the state if insecurity prevents election from holding as scheduled. Section 305 of the constitution provides that if there is a breakdown of law and order or threat of breakdown of law and order as determined by the President that it is unsafe to continue with the business of the election, that the President can do a proclamation of a state of emergency,” he said.
He noted that two other scenarios he identified as a lawyer that could happen if the election fails to hold as a result of insecurity would as well not do the people of Anambra any good.
“The first of the other scenarios is for the President and the National Assembly to rely on Section 180 of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to extend the tenure of the incumbent governor to a period of six months. But this can only be done under special circumstances, that is, if the country is at war in which the territory of Nigeria is physically attacked.
“The second scenario is for the Speaker of the state assembly to take over and complete the tenure of the office of the governor of Anambra State. But Section 131 says that the Speaker can only take over and complete the tenure of the office of the governor for four years and not more and after those four years, the Speaker must leave the office. And the Speaker can only take over in circumstances when the governor has been impeached or resigned,” he said.
Despite the increasing rate of insecurity leading to murder and kidnappings, Okoye insists that the state is peaceful for the conduct of elections and argued that the country is not at war and that its territory has not been attacked by aggressors.
However, the INEC Commissioner insisted that electoral umpires are ready and prepared to conduct the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State, adding that the Commission relies on Section 178 of the Constitution which has made it very clear that nobody can conduct the governorship election in Anambra earlier than the 18th day of October 2021 or on the 16th day of February 2022.
He argued that anything done earlier or later than the two dates will be declared null and void because it does not agree with the constitutional provisions.
Okoye maintained that the INEC is certain that the political parties, the candidates, and the electorate are very ready for the election adding “we the umpires are not only ready but also prepared to conduct a credible, transparent and acceptable election in Anambra state.”
Last week the husband of the late Minister of Information, Dora Akuyili, Chike Akuyili, was assassinated in the state by yet to be identified gunmen.
Policemen were also murdered while a police station was set ablaze.
Several campaign trains have been attacked with records of deaths. As at press time, the whereabouts of the candidate for the Labour Party, Obiora Agbasimelo was still unknown.
Yesterday (Sunday), there was a report that both the police and SSS field offices in Nnewi were burnt down by unidentified individuals.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police spokesman, Ikenganyia Anthony, confirmed the unfortunate incident, stating that it was a case of arson.
Ikenganyia said, “At about 2pm, of 3rd Oct 2021, the command received a distress call of a fire incident in Nnewi. Police Operatives are currently on ground and the area has since been cordoned off,” adding that “the details are still sketchy.”
