2023: Why Elections Can Hold Successfully in Southeast Despite Gunmen Attacks, Analyst Melah Reveals

• Though the southeast has become a hotbed of violence with INEC offices being attacked, Bonaventure Melah, a political analyst, said elections should hold in the region
• Melah who is a former managing editor of Daily Times said no matter the level of threats, the people in the region will come out to vote for their candidates
• The political analyst also argued that since elections could hold in the northeast despite the insurgency, INEC can also conduct elections in the southeast

Southeast, Nigeria - Ahead of the 2023 general election, there have been continuous bombardments of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices and attacks on other soft targets in the southeast.

Nevertheless, a political analyst and former managing editor of Daily Times, Bonaventure Melah argued that elections in the southeast will run successfully as the people are determined to vote for their candidates in the coming election.

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Melah believes that no matter the level of threats, the people will surely come out to vote for their candidates.

2023 elections: Southeast under gun attacks

Recall that the southeast has literally been riddled with bullets from unknown gunmen allegedly masterminded some individuals said to be seeking the liberation of the region.

While the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has been accused of being behind the attacks, the leadership of the outlawed group had countered the claim that it was behind the attacks, blaming the Simon Ekpa-led group for the violence.

The group as well as the Ohnaeze Ndigbo has since called for the arrest of Mr Ekpa.

Enugu, Imo under attacks

Recently, top politicians in the region had come under gun attacks, leading to the death of a few of them.

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Prominent among those killed in the region was Ahmad Gulak who was killed in Imo state. Hon. Lucky Okechukwu, the youth leader of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Igboeze South Local Government Area of Enugu state, was also killed in Enugu state.

Also killed in the state was a former Commissioner for Rural Development and erstwhile Chairman of Oji-River Local Council, Chief Gabriel Onuzulike and his elder brother.

Three policemen were also killed during a stop-and-search operation in the state recently. The attacks have continued across different states in the zone including Ebonyi, Anambra, and Abia states, creating fears that the 2023 elections in the region may be marred by violent attacks.

INEC offices under heavy attacks ahead of 2023

Also recently, INEC facilities in the region have come under heavy attacks.

A recent attack occurred in Imo state on Monday, December 12, when suspected gunmen unleashed an attack on the INEC building in Owerri, Imo state, razing the facility.

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Also, in November, the INEC office in Ebonyi state was set ablaze by unknown attackers. The Commission's office in Izzi Local Government Area was completely razed.

These developments have generated concerns over the renewed attacks on INEC offices in the region, as many have expressed fear that the development will affect the conduct of the 2O23 election.

Melah states position

But Melah believes that if elections could hold in 2015 in Borno state, it means it is possible to hold a fair and credible election in the southeast whose crisis cannot be compared to what was witnessed in the northeast.

Mellah also recalled the Anambra election which he said was a success despite the pockets of attacks that happened before the election.

He said:

"Election will hold successfully in the southeast. Don't forget that we had a successful election in Anambra State despite the pockets of attacks in the state prior to the election.

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"Note that the general election is taking place all over the country. Don't forget that in the 2015 general election, the northeast was ravaged by Boko Haram insurgents and nobody expected that there was going to be an election. In view of the security report available to the then president, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, had to order a shift of the election for two weeks and they were able to mobilize enough security and other facilities to be able to checkmate the threats."

Melah said the insecurity in the southeast was not as serious as it was in the northeast.

According to him:

"The insecurity in the southeast is not as ferocious as it was in the northeast at that time. The federal government of Nigeria has the capacity to be able to mobilize security resources to the region to checkmate any security threat, especially during this election period.

"So I believe that there may be skirmishes in some areas but election can hold successfully. And for the fact that the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, is from the region and that is his catchment area, I believe that whoever is causing problems in the southeast will have reasons to call themselves to order."

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On voters’ loss of interest in the election because of security threats, Melah said once people are guaranteed their safety and there is enough security on ground, they will come out to vote.

INEC expresses concern over volume of uncollected PVCs in Anambra

Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that INEC expressed concern over the volume of unclaimed Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) in Anambra state.

Legit.ng's regional reporter in Anambra, Mokwugwo Solomon, reported that the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Dr Queen Agwu, during stakeholders meeting in Awka, on Wednesday, December 7, 2022, announced that as many as 132,673 PVCs were yet to be claimed by their owners across the 21 council areas of the state.

She promised that the commission's offices will be open across the 21 LGAs of Anambra state, even on Saturdays and Sundays, to enable eligible voters to claim their voters cards.

Source: Legit.ng