By Jude Michael
The member of the House of Representatives representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency, Hon. Afam Victor Ogene, has expressed concern over what he described as the hasty amendment of the Anambra State Electoral Law by the Anambra State House of Assembly to conduct local government council elections. He described the move as a promotion of undemocratic tactics aimed at frustrating opposition parties in the state.
According to him, ‘Armed with this curious amendment, the Anambra State Government has gone ahead to hurriedly fix local government elections for September 28, 2024, thereby causing unease in the state’s political ecosystem.’
Hon Ogene, in a statement in Awka, the state capital, on Tuesday, criticized what he described as the swift amendment of the state’s Electoral Law, calling it an unholy maneuver to stifle the interest of the grassroots in producing credible leadership at the local government levels as envisioned by both the Constitution and the recent pronouncement by the Supreme Court, which, he said, granted financial autonomy to the LGAs for the purpose of sustainable development at the local areas.
‘In a move widely viewed as politically motivated, the State Assembly had recently amended the Anambra Electoral Law 2024, slashing the notice period for local government elections from 60 days to just 30 days. This sudden change has raised suspicions among stakeholders, who see it as an attempt by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)-led government, under Governor Chukwuma Soludo, to launch a political ambush on opposition parties.
‘With this surprising amendment in hand, the Anambra State Government has hastily announced local government elections for September 28, 2024, causing widespread fears regarding a pre-determined outcome,’ he said.
Hon. Ogene, who is the leader of the Labour Party Caucus in the House of Representatives, further said that Governor Soludo and the State Assembly had perpetuated an undemocratic practice by utilizing the democratic institution of the assembly to handpick local government leaders.
‘This anti-people approach excludes the majority who do not align with their authoritarian tendencies.
‘The newly imposed 30-day notice period for local government elections will lead to widespread disenfranchisement at the grassroots level. Within this truncated timeframe, it will be nearly impossible for stakeholders to conduct meaningful consultations, organize primary elections, secure funding, and prepare for the elections without government support.
‘This is a disservice to the people and a mockery of our democracy. By frustrating the enthronement of true democracy at the grassroots level, the foundation of democratic governance, the government is mindlessly undermining the very essence of democratic practice.
‘In deed, it is ludicrous that ten years after the last local government elections in the state, and two and a half years since he assumed office, Governor Soludo and his recently appointed ANSIEC would seek to hoodwink the people of the state through a hurriedly clobbered council election process.
‘We urge all advocates of democracy to remain vigilant and engaged in the upcoming Anambra local government and state elections, ensuring that the people’s will is not subverted by the state government’s deceitful tactics under Governor Soludo’s leadership,’ Ogene added.
