Eligible voters checking for their names on the wall before an election in Nigeria | File photo
A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) in Anambra has alleged that there are plans to manipulate Saturday’s senatorial by-election.
Chukwumah Okeke, chair of the coalition; and Felix Okechukwu, its secretary; made the claim in a statement on Monday in Awka, the state capital.
Okeke implored Mahmood Yakubu, INEC chair, to protect the integrity of the poll and save the electoral body from “avoidable embarrassment”.
He also urged the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) to intervene on behalf of other political parties to prevent what he described as “a dangerous dimension” in Anambra politics.
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Reacting on Tuesday, Elizabeth Agwu, resident electoral commissioner in Anambra, dismissed the claims as unfounded and diversionary.
“One thing is certain, that in Nigeria, people peddle rumour,” Agwu told TheCable.
“I am from the media. You know as much as I do that people talk whatever they like and it is diversionary. When people are peddling their rumour, their rumour is not founded and you know when somebody is busy, they want to distract the person.
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“I have a pedigree. Election that has not started, people begin to tell you it’s already rigged. There is no fact in it. As we are speaking, I have not received sensitive materials from Abuja, and it will not come to me, it will go to CBN. All of us, the media, security agencies, CSOs and political parties, we will open the thing together and do everything.
“I don’t print the document. I don’t do my things in secret. How can we rig an election when we have not gotten the materials? I want you to know that it’s a fallacy. It’s a fallacy. I don’t hide anything. I have nothing to hide from day one.
“So there is no truth in what they are saying. And most of these people, they don’t know me. I don’t operate like others. I operate in God’s way. They should have known that. I am focused on doing my work.”
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