Anambra election: Group condemns violent move
A group known as Vote Not Fight Campaign has condemned any purported arrangements by some political parties to boycott or inflict violence during the November 18th gubernatorial election in Anambra state.
Among the team was a Nigerian Music Artiste, Innocent Idibia popularly known as 2face and other members of the Vote Not Fight Campaign train who paid a courtesy visit to the governor, at the Governor’s Lodge, Amawbia.
Welcoming the group, Governor Obiano explained that Anambra had been a peaceful state since he assumed office, which had resulted in the influx of development in the state.
He, however, harped on the need for the group to take the campaign to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC and the Security agencies to emphasize the need to be neutral in their role during the election.
According to him, “the only reason why there will be crisis, is when anybody will want to thwart the people’s collective mandate, but aside that, the upcoming election will be peaceful.”
Governor Obiano while commending the group for the initiative, maintained that APGA, the party in power in the state is a peaceful one, with a slogan that encourages brotherliness and has a tradition of winning elections fair and square.
Tu-face who is the Project Ambassador /icon in his remarks, commended Governor Obiano for his peaceful stance on the election which aligns with their ultimate objective, adding that they are focusing mainly on youths because of their vulnerability to violence occasioned by the high rate of unemployment in the society.
Earlier, the Executive Director, Youngsters Development Initiative, Abuja, Mr Kingsley Bangwell, opined that they were in Anambra with the “Vote not fight’ campaign team and other partners, as part of efforts to mobilize Anambra Youths to participate actively in the upcoming governorship election and to shun pre and post election violence.
Mr Bangwell described peace as a pre-condition for meaningful development of any kind to ensue in any human society and said what they bring is a message of peace to the youths in response to the ugly trend where they are usually manipulated and used as tools for election violence.
In a vote of thanks, one of the coordinators of the programme in the state, Mr Nonso Orakwe, promised that with the assurance given by the Governor, they would partner his administration to get the message to all nooks and crannies of the state to meet the target of the campaign.
Governor Obiano was later presented with sensitization materials of the group after which he presented Tu-face with the State souvenir.
John Ndu Awka
