Goddy Egene
The League of Anambra Professionals (TLAP) has called on all registered voters in the state to come out and vote the candidate of their choice on November 6, urging the federal and state governments to ensure their security and maintain overall peace before, during and after the election.
The call was contained in statement issued by the President of TLAP, Mr. Chijioke Okoli, SAN. The group said that an election boycott should not start with Anambra State gubernatorial election.
TLAP commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its avowed readiness to deploy for the election electronic transmission of votes which has proven to facilitate the much needed electoral integrity.
“We made the point in our widely reported denunciation of the Anambra State Senators who went AWOL during the Senate Electoral Act amendment proceedings, and which point is reiterated here, that the present anomie and devastating frustration in the South-East zone (including Anambra State) is largely occasioned by a political leadership irresponsibly beholden to their personal interests and the whims of outside persons and groups,” the group said.
TLAP reiterated its long standing and unwavering advocacy for the conduct of free and fair election with large voter participation to birth a truly representative and accountable governorship in the state.
It condemned the destruction of INEC offices and political party assets including their billboards and cars.
“The violent disruption of political party campaigns with the result that most of the political campaign activities have been shifted to Lagos and Asaba in neighbouring Delta State. This is totally unacceptable,” it said.
The group called on the federal and state governments to tackle the insecurity in the Anambra and the entire South-east region.
TLAP said:“We acknowledge and reiterate our earlier denunciation of the mindless systematic killing of policemen and other law enforcement officers and destruction of their stations in Anambra State, with the result that they are now absent from our towns and villages. Against this backdrop, the deployment of the military to restore order and sanity is understandable. This endorsement of deployment of the military however should never be interpreted as a carte blanche for wanton disregard of the civil liberties of the innocent ordinary people of Anambra State.
We hereby call on the military authorities and the Anambra State Governor to take extra steps to ensure that the usual excesses of some soldiers in tasks such as the one at hand in our state are reduced to the barest minimum. Let it be known that our observers are on ground and we shall not hesitate to activate the necessary local or/and international accountability measures for any egregious misconduct by any soldier or group of soldiers.”
“In a similar vein no stone should be left unturned in discovering the precise identities of the murderers wreaking havoc under the guise of ‘unknown gunmen’. The law enforcement agencies should redouble their efforts towards the apprehension and prosecution according to law of these so called unknown gunmen.”
