By Yinka Ezun
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Southern and a group, Middle Belt Alliance SaMBA have cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to perish every contemplations of imposing a state of emergency in Anambra state ahead of the November 6 governorship election.
In a statement on Wednesday, PDP through the National Publicity Secretary of the party, Kola Ologbodiyan said the move to foist an emergency rule in Anambra state is a ploy by the APC-led government to suppress the people, manipulate the process and rig the governorship election for the APC and its candidate.
“Our party demands that the APC and its administration should come clean on their roles in the sudden rise in insecurity in Anambra state ahead of the election. This demand is predicated on apprehensions in the public space that the spate of insecurity in Anambra is contrived to heighten tension in the state so as to derail the democratic process to the advantage of the APC” the statement read.
The party went further, ‘The PDP insists that the Federal Government has the capacity to ensure peace in Anambra before, during and even after the election, if it so desired. We therefore invite the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government to be guided accordingly. Our party also charges the people of Anambra state to remain calm and alert as well as take steps within the ambits of the law to resist plots by the APC to derail the electoral process in its inordinate ambition to seize Anambra through the back door” PDP said .
Similarly,.SaMBA in a statement issued Wednesday evening wondered why Malami would threaten to declare a state of emergency in Anambra while ignoring the northern states of Katsina , Kaduna , Zamfra , Sokoto and Niger State where a “Festival of Killings” are going.
The Group in a statement signed by its spokesman, Prince Rwang Pam Jnr. Said that Malami should not forget that despite “killings festival” in Katsina , Kaduna , Zamfra , Sokoto and Niger Elections were conducted in those states without a declaration of a state of emergency.
SaMBA said, ” Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami that a state of emergency may be declared in Anambra for the conduct of November 6, Governorship election in the state.
“It is surprising that the Attorney General of the Federation will make such statement seeing that such statement may lend credence to the suspicion that the crisis in Anambra state is being orchestrated by some clique in the ruling All Progressive Congress Party to win the forthcoming governorship election in the state.
“Elections were conducted in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfra , Sokoto and Niger Elections despite the “killings Festival” that going on those states in the country and AGF did not talk about declaring state of emergency in those areas.”We note that security forces have moved into the south east region to secure lives and property and therefore call on Malami to bury the thought of declaring a state of emergency in the state for the conduct of November 6 governorship election.”
