Hundreds of agitated youths converged at the
Independent National Electoral Commission’s office at Awka , Anambra State on
Tuesday, demanding action by the Commission to stop aspirants not listed as
their party’s candidates in the State from continued electoral campaigns. The
youths who marched through the streets of Awka in the scorching mid day sun to
vent their anger said they were giving INEC forty – eight hours to enforce the
provisions of the electoral laws on party candidacy or forget about holding
elections in Anambra State.
Presenting their grievances to the State Resident
Electoral Commissioner, Engr Edwin Nwatalari, the President – General,
Coalition of Anambra Youth, Comrade Ikem Maduagwu, faulted the electoral
commission, the Police and other security agencies for looking the other way
while self – declared candidates created confusion, soliciting for votes.
‘The campaign is for those whose names are published
by INEC to campaign for the election not those who are claiming to be
candidates and deceiving the masses. The INEC rules, the electoral act and the
Constitution of Nigeria make it sacrosanct that all political parties must
field only one candidate to contest each elective post.’
Comrade Maduagwu condemned the statement credited to
the PDP national secretary, Professor Wale Oladipo who reportedly called on the
party’s rival candidates in the state to continue with their campaigns. ‘This shows that they have designed this
unlawful strategy to gain advantage over other parties.’
The protesting youths cited numerous instances of
triple candidates/aspirants by the PDP in Anambra State for the three senatorial
seats as well as House of Representatives and state assembly constituencies,
insisting that enough was enough. They
demanded that the INEC take the following steps within forty – eight hours:
announce the authentic PDP candidates in the state; stop the campaigns of
illegal candidates in the media; direct security agencies to arrest illegal
candidates; and direct removal of billboards and other campaign materials of
illegal candidates in public places.
The youth leader stressed that since elections cannot
take place in an atmosphere of confusion and illegality, failure to stop the
illegal candidates would mean that the February polls do not take place in
Anambra State.
Responding, the REC told the angry youths that their
complaint will be forwarded to the INEC headquarters, Abuja. He reassured them
that their demands would be addressed.
It will be
recalled that the Anambra House of Assembly had two weeks ago passed a law
making campaigns by aspirants not known
to INEC an offence bordering on breach of the public peace.
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