From Jeff Amechi Agbodo, Onitsha
Following the announcement by the Nigerian apex electoral umpire, INEC, to commence registration of eligible voters in 326 wards in Anambra State given the forthcoming November 6 governorship election in the State,
A group known as Hon Amb Ike Oligbo Foundation (HAIOF) in partnership with Good Governance Initiative (GGIN) have commenced mobilization of eligible voters in Anambra Central for active participation in forthcoming registration of eligible voters in 326 wards in Anambra State.
Addressing journalists in Awka, the Director-General of the foundation, Comrade Arinze Nweje explained that the mission becomes necessary and inevitable in consideration of the short period of the exercise which comes up between August 30 and September 5.
He advised all eligible voters to take the registration exercise seriously being the only legal means of possessing a permanent voter’s card (PVC), their greatest power for enthroning good governance.
The representative of GGIN in Anambra State, Mrs. Grace Ezengige in her remarks, commended the efforts of HAIOF in promoting voter education in the State and thanked the foundation donating the sum of N1 million for the exercise.
She emphasized that such initiatives would help voters to rise to their rights noting that many eligible voters failed to participate in electioneering processes because of ignorance.
In related development, Nweje said that the Chairman of HAIOF, Chief Ike Oligbo (Ike Edeke, Umuoji) has also donated the sum of N5m to support Anambra Central Progressives Election Coalition (ACPEC) to enable them to mobilize support for Mr. Val Ozigbo, the PDP candidate for November 6 governorship election in the State. The ACPEC is a political pressure group with advocacy on good governance.
Amb Ike Oligbo Foundation (HAIOF) is a Non – Government Organization (NGO) that serves humanity in areas but not limited to education, health, good governance, etc.
Chief Oligbo is a chieftain of the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and formerly a governorship aspirant and a member of the VCO/Anambra 2021 PDP Gubernatorial Election State Advisory Council and as well as Head of Diaspora Affairs.