2.2m registered voters for Anambra governorship election – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on Wednesday, said 2.158171 million registered voters would take part in the Nov.18 governorship election in Anambra.

Assistant Director, ICT Department at the commission’s headquarters, Bimbo Oladumjoye, made the disclosure during the official publication of Register of voters for the November18 Anambra governorship election in Awka.

She said out of the figure, 50.3 per cent were females while 49.6 percent were males.

Mrs Oladumjoye further said that students were the highest number of registered voters constituting 48 per cent, adding that Idemili North Local Government Area had the highest number of registered voters.

Also speaking, INEC’s National Commissioner (South-East Zone),  Okechukwu Ibeanu, described voters registration as the bedrock of a free, fair and credible of any election.

“It is in view of this that the INEC has decided, today, to publish the register of voters in Anambra state,’’ he said.

Mr Ibeanu, a professor, said the publication was in compliance with the Electoral Law which according to him stipulates that the commission should publish the register, 30 days before the election.

The INEC official said that the commission’s headquarters in Awka had received non-sensitive materials for the exercise.

He, however, noted that Anambra was the first to have 37 candidates contesting for a governorship position in an election since the history of elections in Nigeria.

“In spite this number, the commission is very happy to remark that political parties have been very orderly in their campaigns without heating the polity and we are glad with such development,’’ he said.

In an address of welcome, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Nkwachukwu Orji, confirmed that 37 political parties would be participating in the election.

He reiterated the commission’s readiness to conduct free, fair, credible and acceptable election on November18 in the state.

Mr Orji applauded the assistance of security agencies to the commission and their readiness to ensure that the election would be violent-free.

Some Chairmen of political parties that attended the meeting expressed confidence in the ability of the commission to conduct an acceptable election in the state.

The soft copy of the voters’ register was given to each of the political parties whose candidates would contest for the election.

 

NAN