From Obinna Odogwu, Awka

The Campaign for Democracy (CD) and the Human Rights Liberty Access and Peace Defenders’ Foundation (HURIDE) have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to do everything within its powers to deliver a free, fair and transparent election in Anambra State on November 6 this year.

Chairman of CD in the South East, and the Executive Director of HURIDE, Dede Uzor A. Uzor, in a statement, also called on the political actors in the coming election to play by the rules of the game to ensure a hitch free exercise.

The groups appealed to political parties, especially the ones which fielded candidates for the poll and their supporters to avoid taking actions that would mar the credibility of the elections.

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They made it clear that acts of rigging, ballot snatching, vote buying and falsification of electoral results might trigger violent actions that might eventually lead to the shedding of blood.

“The INEC holds the key to a successful election on November 6. If they hold their independence so close to their chest and refuse to compromise in any way, pandering to any of the party, they will organise credible elections in Anambra State”, the statement partly read.

The groups, while calling on the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmud Yakubu, not to bow to the pressures from politicians to manipulate the system to their advantage, also asked the security operatives including the police, DSS, army and others to be neutral while carrying out their duties during the poll.

While calling on President Muhmmadu Buhari not to influence the outcome of the election to favour any of the political parties, the groups asked the president to ensure that there would be adequate security before, during and after the election.