Is Malami’s State of Emergency Threat in Anambra Genuine?

CICERO/Issue

Following the state of insecurity in Anambra State ahead of the November 6 election in the state, the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami has threatened a declaration of state of emergency in the state if the state government fails to ensure security of lives and property. Ejiofor Alike and David-Chyddy Eleke write that it is an act of hypocrisy that may have been motivated by a hidden agenda for the minister to blame the state government when it is the federal government that controls all the security agencies that maintain peace and democratic order in the country

With the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State less than a month away, the security situation in the state has become a source of worry to many persons.

The state has remained in the news, as a result of random killings, maiming, arson and others.

The level of insecurity in the state came to a peak penultimate week when Dr. Chike Akunyili, the widower of the late former Minister of Information and former director general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC), Prof. Dora Akunyili, was murdered in the most gruesome manner, along with eight others.

In Ajalli, Orumba North Local Government Area, a police station was attacked and two policemen killed.

The vehicle of a member of the House of Representatives and former PDP governorship aspirant, Hon. Chris Azubogu was attacked, and his driver killed.

The gunmen also set ablaze the offices of the Department of State Services (DSS) and Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Nnewi, Anambra State, leaving two people dead on their trail.

Also set ablaze was the Nnewi country home of a Lagos-based chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Joe Igbokwe.

The home of another prominent son of Nnewi and former minister, Dr. Chu Okongwu, was also invaded and burnt down, while security agents watched helplessly.

There is no doubt that the spate of killings has posed a threat to the forthcoming election in the state as the gunmen had reportedly shouted “no Biafra, no election,” during their attacks on public and private infrastructure.

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, had already painted a rather disturbing situation report on the November 6 governorship election.

Speaking at a meeting with security agencies on election matters in Abuja, Yakubu had expressed worry over the safety of his staff, voters and security personnel during the election in the state.

“The commission is particularly concerned about the safety of voters and Election Day staff, including security officials, who have also become the targets of these attacks. The thousands of young Nigerians that we intend to deploy for the election, most of them National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and university students, need to be reassured of their personal safety,” he explained.

On his part, the National Security Adviser (NSA), Major Gen. Babagana Mungunu (rtd), had blamed security breaches and the increasing violence on those he described as separatist agitators.

He further declared that electoral facilities and materials could become targets of attacks during the election.

As the insecurity situation in the state heightens, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the All Progressives Congress (APC), have engaged each other in a war of words over who is responsible for the state of insecurity in the state.

The APC had first accused APGA of not doing enough to stem the tide of insecurity in the state. Senator Andy Uba, the party’s governorship candidate, had accused Governor Willie Obiano of having a hand in the increasing violence in the state for the purpose of putting off the scheduled election in the state.

Uba said with the huge monthly security vote collected by the governor and his wife, the security of the state ought to be better managed.

Uba spoke through the media director of his campaign organisation, Hon. Afam Ogene.

“Each time Gov Obiano clownishly adorns himself in military camouflage, does he do so for mere comic display,” Uba asked?

But in a swift response, APGA stated that by accusing Governor Willie Obiano of having a hand in the insecurity in the state, the APC was indirectly accusing President Muhammadu Buhari of ineptitude, since the president is the Chief Security Officer of the country.

The state Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Mr C. Don Adinuba who also doubles as the Director of Media and Publicity of the Soludo Campaign organization, argued that the “Anambra APC indicts President Buhari anytime it comments gratuitously on a negative security development in the state. President Buhari, not Governor Willie Obiano, is the Commander in Chief of the Nigerian Armed Forces and head of all security agencies in the country. Security is on the Exclusive List of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

“Each of the 36 state governors in the federation is merely the titular chief security officer of his state. No governor has control over the police force or the Department of State Services or the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in his state, let alone any of the Armed Forces. Even the Anambra Vigilante Group (AVG) is supervised by the state police command, like any other state vigilante service,” Adinuba explained.

As the controversy rages, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mr. Abubakar Malami, has intervened with a declaration that the federal government was determined to ensure a hitch-free election in the state, despite the wave of attacks and killings in the state.

The minister spoke on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

“So, what I’m saying, in essence, is that no possibility is ruled out by government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra hold.

“And you cannot rule out the possibility of declaration of state of emergency where it is established, in essence, that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties and democratic order,” the minister reportedly explained.

With the threat that the federal government would declare a state of emergency in the state if the state government failed to protect lives and property in the state, Malami’s intervention has become suspicious.

Malami’s threat has fuelled suspicion of a hidden agenda, given the fact that the minister is a top member of the APC Campaign Council for the Anambra election.

So, he cannot be trusted by the other political parties as an impartial arbiter in an election which he is campaigning for his party to win.

There are speculations that his position is a reflection of the agenda of the Governor Hope Uzodimma-led campaign council to manipulate the election results, especially given the alleged desperation of the party to control the South-east.

There was also an allegation that an unnamed South-east governor and a minister were behind the order issued by Justice Ubale of a Jigawa high court sitting in Birnin Kudu, to stop the candidature of Professor Chukwuma Soludo, the candidate of APGA.

Interestingly, both the Court of Appeal and the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN) had stopped this judicial rascality.

Also the planned attempt by INEC to keep the governorship election materials in Imo State, which was rejected by APGA, Young Progressives Party (YPP) and the PDP, was alleged to be part of the agenda to write the election results outside the state.

With the mutual suspicion already existing among the political parties in the state, Malami’s threat of declaration of a state of emergency has raised further concerns.

The parties have argued that it is as an act of hypocrisy on his part to blame the state government for the insecurity in the state when it is the federal government that controls the Police, Armed Forces, Department of State Services (DSS) and other security agencies that maintain peace and democratic order in the country

Reacting to Malami’s threat, the Commissioner for Information in Anambra State, Mr. C. Don Adinuba, described the minister’s comment as not just a strong indictment of Buhari who is the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces but a confirmation of the “worst fear of the Nigerian people that politicians outside Anambra State in collaboration with their local minions are behind the recent spate of killings in the state to frighten people from coming out to vote in the forthcoming polls, thereby enabling them to write the results they like”.

The commissioner further argued that the number casualties in the state was not even a fraction of the casualties in places like Borno, Zamfara, Katsina, Benue, Plateau, Yobe, Niger, Adamawa, Taraba, and others where terrorists have killed several thousands of civilians and successfully attacked military formations, slaughtering soldiers and other security officers.

“They have even brought down some sophisticated combat aircraft. Were elections not held successfully in these states in 2019?” he queried.

Both the PDP and the apex Igbo sociopolitical organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo Worldwide have also kicked against a state of emergency in Anambra State.

PDP’s National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement that a state of emergency was part of an alleged larger plot by the APC-led federal administration to manipulate the November 6 governorship poll.

Also in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Mr. Alex Ogbonnia, Ohanaeze warned the federal government against any contemplation of state of emergency in Anambra State or any other state in Igboland.

Ogbonnia argued that the deaths recorded in Anambra were nothing to compare to the records of states like Borno, Yobe, Niger, Plateau or even Benue state.

On his part, Governor Obiano on Thursday came hard on Malami, saying that he did not have Buhari’s support

Obiano who spoke with journalists in the State House, after meeting with Buhari, said he had been assured that the president was only interested in a free and fair election in the scheduled governorship exercise in the state.

At the peak of the insecurity in Imo State in May, the Inspector General of Police (IG), Usman Alkali, had posted Abutu Yaro to take over from Nasiru Mohammed as the Police Commissioner in the state and the security situation was quickly brought under control.

With the posting of Echeng Eworo Echeng to take over from Tony Olofu as the new CP in Anambra State, coupled with the deployment of special forces in the state, it is expected that the security situation will improve drastically for the election to hold peacefully, otherwise Malami’s state of emergency option is suspicious.