Senate By-election: CSOs Demand Removal of Anambra INEC REC

David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka

Coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Anambra State has raised the alarm over the alleged plot of the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State, Queen Elizabeth Agwu, to manipulate and rig the forthcoming Senatorial by-election in the state on Saturday. 

The CSOs further alleged that the Anambra INEC REC has prepared the results of the forthcoming senatorial election in favour of a particular candidate and she has vowed to announce the results in his favour. 

The Chairman of the of the CSOs in Anambra State, Mr. Chukwumah Okeke and the Secretary, Mr. Felix Okechukwu  stated this in a statement made available to journalists in Awka, the state capital  yesterday.

Okeke is also asking the INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to remove the  Anambra INEC REC in order to protect the integrity of Saturday’s senatorial by-election and save the electoral body from avoidable embarrassment. 

The CSOs are further asking Inter-Party Advisory Council of Nigeria (IPAC) to intervene on behalf of other parties in the matter and save the situation in Anambra from taking dangerous dimension as from Saturday. 

Okeke’s statement read in part: “We are stakeholders in Anambra State politics and we are familiar with the political situation in the state. We can also state with high sense of responsibility that we are in full support of credible and fair poll before, during and after the forthcoming Senatorial by-election in the state on Saturday. 

“But we are getting dangerous signal about the infamous action of the Anambra INEC REC, Queen Elizabeth Agwu, over her sinister bid to sabotage credible poll on Saturday and achieve predetermined results in favour of a candidate.

“That is why we are raising the alarm over the plot of Anambra INEC REC to rig the forthcoming election for a particular candidate as she has prepared the results in favour of the choice candidate, with a bid to announce the candidate as the winner of the poll, regardless of actual voting on Saturday. 

“We are therefore, calling on the INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, to remove the Anambra INEC REC before Saturday’s poll in order to restore confidence and integrity on the electoral body.

“Anything short of Agwu’s removal by INEC chairman will lead to avoidable consequences and monumental failure on the part of INEC to conduct credible senatorial by-election on Saturday.”

The CSOs further called on IPAC to rise up to the occasion and intervene on behalf of other parties, saying that IPAC cannot sit on the fence and allow manipulation and rigging to take centre stage in Anambra during the forthcoming senatorial by-election in the state.

Attempts to get reactions from the Public Relations Officer of INEC in Anambra State, Dr Kingsley Agu over allegation of rigging failed as call to his phone failed to connect.