By SODIQ OMOLAOYE, Abuja

The Federal Government has said it would not allow any separatist group to disrupt the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra state.

National Security Adviser (NSA), Major General Babagana Monguno (Rtd) gave the warning at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, (ICCES) in Abuja, on Thursday.

Mugono spoke against the backdrop of some of the recent activities of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra(IPOB) in the Southeast.

In May this year, unidentified hoodlums carried out series of attacks on government facilities, including setting ablaze the headquarters of INEC in Anambra.

Though the police accused members of IPOB of being responsible for the attacks, the group vehemently denied such allegation.

There are also fears that the separatist group may call on residents of the state to boycott the November 6 governorship election.

But Mungono, represented by Sanusi Galadima, warned that government would not tolerate any group or persons to disrupt the poll.

He said: “With the prevalence of security threats occasioned by different dissident separatist groups in the Southern region of the country, who are bent on scuttling efforts of government in achieving national cohesion and undermining the democratic processes in the country, the Federal Government of Nigeria will not tolerate any group or persons planning to impede smooth conduct of elections.

“While acknowledging the constitutional rights of citizens to freely express their legitimate grievances within the ambits of the law, it is also important to state that the Federal government will not abdicate its constitutional responsibility of securing lives and property as well as a secure environment for citizens to pursue their legitimate means of livelihood”, he stated.

The NSA, therefore, assured of robust security deployments to countering any threats and ensuring peaceful conduct of the elections.

In his welcome address during the meeting, Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, said the commission had made arrangements to replace materials that were lost during the attack on its office in Akwa.

He said plans were also underway to rebuild the physical facilities which, he said would be completed before the election. (The Guardian)

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