By PAMELA EBOH, Awka

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State, Dr Nwachukwu Orji, has expressed worry over threat by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to impose a week-long sit-at-home if the Federal Government fails to release its leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, unconditionally by November 4 2021.

He said the action will affect the smooth running of the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

Orji also cited the May 23 attacks on INEC facilities in the state as another source of worry to the commission, especially as it strives to achieve huge success in the poll.

Speaking Monday after the opening ceremony of the Election Monitoring and Support Centre (EMSC) AMBER Zone Implementers Workshop held in Awka, the Commissioner said that the commission had so far recruited and mobilised about 25,000 ad hoc staff that would man the 5,720 polling units in the state.

He expressed satisfaction with what INEC had achieved so far, in terms of human structure, saying that if the success continued without future interruptions, the commission would confidently be ready by Nov. 6 to conduct a free, fair and peaceful election.

“Our preparations are on course, even with all the challenges we are facing, such as the attacks on our state office on May 23rd and the Sit-At-Home order, which is eating into our preparations.

“But we are doing our best to ensure that we overcome these challenges and we can only urge the public to be law abiding in order to achieve the desired electoral success in the state,” Orji said.

He, however, dismissed claims by some stakeholders that the commission’s earlier decision to supply non-sensitive materials for the election from its Southeastern zonal store in Owerri, Imo, would jeopardise the smooth conduct of the poll.

According to him, the determination of the commission to bring all the needed materials for the poll down to Awka remained unshaken.

While noting that the damaged structures at the INEC headquarters were being restored, Orji said: “The sensitive materials will go to the Central Bank of Nigeria branch in Awka. But we are not talking about sensitive materials here. So there is no need for the alarm being raised.

“The commission is working according to plans to put all things in place by the end of this month.

“Election process is something that do not have room for mistakes. We make sure that in the process of preparing for election, all that are needed would be on ground.

“The commission has developed a system for monitoring activities closely, to make sure that all programmes and plans were well executed without failure.

“The exercise will take us to the red zone, which is 11 days before the election day, and two days after the election, which is the most critical period in any election.”

He noted that as a mark of its seriousness for credible election, NEC officials reviewed what he described as the Amber zone, three months before the election.

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