By VINCENT UJUMADU
AWKA—AFTER 15 years of waiting,
Anambra State Independent Electoral
Commission, ANSIEC, Monday, fixed the
conduct of the local government
elections in the state for October 5,
2015.
Chief Sylvester Okonkwo, the acting
chairman of ANSIEC, at an interactive
session with stakeholders drawn from
all the political parties in the state, said
the commission would start the process
in earnest to ensure a free and fair
exercise.
Releasing the notice of the election,
Okonkwo said: “In accordance with
the provisions of Section 7 of the
constitution of the Federal Republic of
Nigeria, 1999 and Sections 153 and 163
of the local government law, No.5 of
1999 of Anambra State, as well as
Section 31 of the Electoral Act, 2010 as
amended, notice is hereby given that
election for the post of chairmanship
for the 21 local government councils
and councillorship for the 327 electoral
wards in the state shall hold on October
5, 2013 in Anambra State.
“Duly completed nomination forms
are to be submitted to the
commission’s headquarters on or
before Thursday, August 15, 2013.”
Okonkwo said though he was already
being threatened with court injunctions
if the commission went ahead to
conduct the exercise, he would not be
intimidated by anybody, adding that by
next Monday, ANSIEC would unveil the
electoral guidelines and timetable for
the polls.
He prayed God to blind trouble makers
who would attempt to disrupt the
exercise and make them deaf and dumb
until the election was over.
He assured the people of the state that
ANSIEC was committed and respected
individuals who would not be
compromised.
Explaining what delayed the exercise
over the years, the acting chairman
said: “I am towing the path of the
Holy spirit in this venture. A lot has
been said about the local government
election since the last exercise was
conducted in1988.
“For instance, in 2001, we had
everything ready for the election, but
the then President Obasanjo asked all
the governors not to conduct it”
SOURCE vanguard

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