Anambra Election: Over 20,000 Police Officers, 3 Helicopters To Be Deployed

The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris, has said a total of 21,084 policemen and three police helicopters will be deployed for the November 18 gubernatorial election in Anambra State.

Idris, who said this while speaking yesterday at the 2nd Situation Room Dialogue Session organized by the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), stated that no group under any guise would be allowed to disrupt or cause violence before, during and after the election.

He said the police headquarters will provide additional 300 vehicles to add to the Anambra command’s 80 operational vehicles, adding that gunboats for the marine police to man the waterways at Onitsha, Aguleri and Nzam have been provided.

Idris said for the purpose of a successful election, the riverine areas would be manned by the marine police and Nigerian Navy while all exit/entry points, including border areas would be manned by the 

Police Mobile Force personnel and Nigerian Army.

He said the Anambra command has been directed to liaise with community leaders such as Ohaneze Ndigbo to prevail on the indigenes not to be used to disrupt the election or disturb public peace and law and order.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of PLAC, Clement Nwankwo, has urged the police to be concerned about the level of deployment “because sometimes over-policing can also be a problem.”

Nwankwo said regardless of threats against the election, civil society organisations believe the election is vital and every group must realize they must not do anything that will impede on people’s rights to vote and be voted for.

He also advised that if the army would be deployed for the election, it should be at the behest of either the police or the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), adding that the army should only be as backup when even deployed.

Meanwhile, the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Mr Garba Umar, has advised the people of the state not to entertain fear during the forthcoming polls, assuring that all necessary arrangements have been put in place to ensure that the polls go as scheduled.

Umar, who is the chairman of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Security, also assured the INEC of its preparedness to assist it to conduct credible, free and fair polls.

Speaking yesterday during the meeting of the committee at the INEC headquarters in Awka, the police boss said the security agencies were determined to ensure that the election was hitch-free.

Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, said the meeting was part of regular interactions of the commission with security agencies to fine-tune measures put in place for the forthcoming election.

By Clement A. Oloyede & Emma Elekwa

Makarafi Speaks On Alleged Dispute Between Jonathan and Dickson

The National Chairman of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ahmed Makarfi, has denied an alleged rift between former President Goodluck Jonathan and Bayelsa State Governor, Seriake Dickson.

Makarfi stated this on Tuesday, while receiving the Executive Committee members of the Bayelsa chapter of the PDP, at the party’s Abuja secretariat.

He said the reports were the handiwork of mischief makers, for the purpose of creating crisis in the chapter.

“Don’t allow yourselves to be fragmented by rumours. Your executive has been ratified by the convention and that is final. There is no need to pander to rumour of an impending sack of your executive,” Makarfi said.

“Immediately the rumour broke out, the former President called me to dismiss that rumour and he said there was no iota of truth in the said petition against the Bayesla executive,”‎ he added.

By Ifreke Inyang

Over 350 PDP Members Dump Party For APGA In Anambra State

Over 350 members of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, from Ifite Awka, the Anambra State capital territory have moved to the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.

The decampees led by Prince Chidozie Nwanya who were presented with APGA membership cards promised to help deliver Governor Willie Obiano for second term in office in the forthcoming election.

Honourable Nnamdi Okafor, member representing Awka South constituency in the State House of Assembly, who received the decampees vowed to continue to mobilize more people for APGA to ensure that Governor Obiano emerged victorious in the November 18th gubernatorial election.

He advised them to come out enmasse to vote massively as well as safe guard their voter’s cards, as according to him their vote was their power to select who governed them.

In their separate speeches, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Public Utilities, Engineer Victor Meju, the Special Adviser on Security, Prevention and Operations, Chief Chikodi Anarah, and the Chairman Awka South Local Government Area, Honourable Leo Nwuba, among others, enumerated the good works of Governor Obiano, reminding the decampees that he had good vision and had been tested and trusted.

In his welcome address, the party Chairman Awka Ward Two, Mr. Augustine Onyeachunam appreciated the decampees for choosing APGA, promising to continue to mobilize more eligible voters in his Amachall ward and Awka ward two.

By Joe Chukundi

“self righteous political enemies” Should Prove Corruption Allegations Against Me Or Stay Silent - Atiku

“It is sickening to continue to regurgitate allegations of corruption against me by people who have failed to come forward with a single shred of evidence of my misconduct while in office,” former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has said. 

The former vice president advised “self righteous political enemies” to either prove alleged corrupt activities, or mind the skeletons in their own closets and keep quiet.

The chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) said this yesterday at a facility tour of the new ultra-modern Yaliam Press Limited in Jabi area of Abuja. 

He also said, in a press statement released by his media office in Abuja, that he would fight corruption like never before if he was given the opportunity to preside over the affairs of the country. 

He added that people who have no initiative, personal resourcefulness and ideas about wealth creation always assumed that a man could not build himself without stealing. 

He added that it was morally offensive for people who despised honest labour to become judges in the courts of public opinion. 

The Wazirin Adamawa said though he had not been convicted of corruption by any court in the land or elsewhere, his political enemies had been parading a fake morality to fool gullible Nigerians. 

“Despite previous desperate efforts to link me with corruption, the William Jefferson trial in the United States ended in 2009 without indicting me or linking me to corrupt activities,” he said. 

Atiku, who was responding to the welcome address by the Chairman/CEO of Yaliam Press Limited, Yahaya Ali Amfani, recalled that he pasted a ‘reminder’ at his bed rest during his training as a customs officer that he would retire from any agency if he had not attained the headship of the place at the age of 40. 

He also said that he was able to attain the position of deputy director before his exit in 1989 to chart a career in business. 

Atiku told the management and staff of Yaliam Press that he retired from the customs service with untainted record, and that if anybody had evidence that he stole a kobo at the customs or during his tenure as vice president, such accusers should come forward or file a petition against him. 

Atiku said he didn’t become vice president in 1999 as a pauper because he had been a successful investor throughout his retirement life. 

By Muideen Olaniyi

2019: Jonathan Will Not Run - PDP

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, South-South league, has said former President Goodluck Jonathan would not contest the 2019 presidential election.

The group said this while dismissing claims that Jonathan wanted to hijack the party structure in Bayelsa state for his presidential ambition in 2019.

In a statement by its Chairman, Barr. Ariolu Tebidapa (Delta State) and the Secretary, Akpan Ibibio (Akwa-Ibom state), the body claimed that those against the interest of the party were behind the allegation.

Noting that the PDP had zoned its presidency to the North, the body warned against any attempt to ridicule the image of the immediate past president.

The body maintained that if Jonathan was interested in anything, it was how to reposition PDP at the national level to “push forward his vision for Nigeria.”

The statement reads, “It is obvious, that since after the supreme court judgement that laid to rest the leadership crisis that rocked the PDP, some persons within the party in the region, are still not settled due to the role they played, in spite of the fact that the party has granted amnesty to all those who worked against the interest of the party.

“These persons see the former President, Goodluck Jonathan as a threat, hence their reactions in trying to attack his personality.

“We have read in the dailies about some persons insinuating that the former President, intends hijacking the party structure in Bayelsa State, in order to actualize his presidential ambition.

“This however, sounds laughable; we see it as an attempt to ridicule the former President.

“His Excellency, former President Goodluck Jonathan is not contesting for the office of the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, even though he is well qualified constitutionally and by pedigree, because he is still widely loved and accepted by Nigerians.

“However, the PDP has zoned it’s presidency to the Northern part of Nigeria. So, we wonder what these fifth columnists really want to achieve by selling falsehood.

“It is also not true that the former President is attempting to hijack the party structure in Bayelsa State. We consider this story as an imagination from those who are being chased by their shadow. As the leader of the party, how can he (Jonathan) be interested in only one state, when the party is preparing for elective congresses and National convention?

“If at all former President Goodluck Jonathan is interested in anything, it should rather be who leads the party at the National level to push forward his vision for Nigeria.

“Consequently, we consider all these as attempts to distract the attention of the former President, at a time when he is busy working with other party leaders and focusing his attention on how to reposition our great party and Nigeria for the challenges ahead.

“Former President Goodluck Jonathan has made the South-South region proud during his service as President, with his achievements of international reckoning and sacrifice to keep Nigeria United. We think he deserves every respect and regard.

“There is no amount of blackmail or insult by these detractors, no matter how hard they try, that can erase the achievements of former President Goodluck Jonathan.”

By Seun Opejobi