Politics
INEC bans politicians from visiting its offices in Anambra
Politicians have been banned from entering the offices of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Anambra State as long as the ongoing registration and revalidations of prospective voters lasted.
Reports had it that the ban followed an incident that happened when Senator Uche Ekwunife, representing Anambra Central senatorial zone, visited the state headquarters of INEC, Awka during which the registrants objected to her addressing them.
Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State, who gave the order, directed INEC security personnel not to allow politicians to address the registrants anymore to forestall possible breakdown of law and order.
According to reports, Ekwunife, who is the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Anambra Central for the 2023 general elections, had visited INEC office to monitor the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, (CVR) exercise.
Ekwunife, who was said to have earlier distributed some drinks and edibles among the registrants and INEC officials, was believed to have done that apparently to boost her candidacy on would be voters within the senatorial district.
Read also: INEC to monitor security situation in Osun ahead of governorship election – Yakubu
She was also said to have informed them of her efforts to ensure that INEC brought more machines and was applauded by the registrants comprising mainly of the youth before she allegedly veered off to subtly canvas for votes.
Trouble however started when the senator reportedly appealed to the large crowd of the registrants to consider PDP in next year’s election when casting their votes. This was said to have angered the crowd, as they began to shout her down, forcing her security personnel to whisk her into her car and zoomed off.
Ekwunife hails from the same Anaocha local government area and same senatorial district as Senator Victor Umeh, her opponent in the forthcoming election and Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Labour Party.
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