Maazi Chukwuma Okpalaezukwu, President of Ohaneze Ndigbo Worldwide, Anambra chapter, has described Saturday’s governorship election as a key opportunity for the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, to restore public trust in the electoral process.
Okpalaezukwu made the remarks following a meeting of the State Executive Council of the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization in Awka, where members reviewed pre-election developments across the state.
Addressing journalists after the meeting, he said, “After monitoring pre-election activities, we are satisfied with what INEC has done so far, but we urge the Commission to use this election to redeem its image.”
The Ohaneze Ndigbo Anambra President also revealed that the organization will establish a situation room to monitor the election in real time, ensuring transparency and that the process proceeds smoothly.
“Campaigns have come and gone and we must commend the political parties for abiding by the rules, which ensured a peaceful campaign period.
“Now, Anambra people and Nigerians alike are expecting INEC to deliver as expected, starting from adequate and timely distribution of electoral materials so that voters are not left stranded, down to ensuring that the outcome of the election is credible.
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“Before now, many Nigerians had lost faith in the INEC, but with the changes in the institution, we hope that the new INEC chairman. With his pedigree, will live up to expectation.
“We have heard and encountered how poor network had frustrated elections. Now that our voting processes are largely dependent on the digital devices such as iREV and BVAS, we are not expecting to encounter what we saw during the voter registration exercise, where the machines do not have sufficient network to function appropriately.
“It is expected that INEC Chairman must seize this opportunity to restore the confidence of Nigerians, especially Anambra people, in the confidence of the commission to conduct credible elections,” he said.
The Anambra Ohanaeze leader noted the extensive deployment of security personnel across the state, observing that they seem well-positioned to ensure adequate safety during the election.
He added that after travelling across the state to educate and mobilize residents against voter apathy, the organization is confident that citizens will turn out in large numbers to exercise their right to vote.
