Date Published: 01/20/10

Guber Poll: Rights group happy with Candidates 

“If the political class in Nigeria will embrace the constructive and issue-oriented style of political campaigns by all Governorship candidates for the February 6 th 2010 election in Anambra state, then the 2011 general elections in the entire country will be violence free,” Human Rights Writers’ Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has said. 

In a media statement by its national coordinator Comrade Emmanuel Onwubiko, Huriwa expressed optimism that contrary to widespread apprehensions and anxieties by concerned Nigerians, the February 6 th 2010 governorship election may be violence free in Anambra state. The Rights group however tasked the electoral body to conduct free, fair and transparent poll so as to right the many wrongs committed by them [INEC] in the 2007 elections. 

The democracy inclined and development focused non-governmental group said it anchored her optimism of a violence free poll in Anambra state come February 6 th 2010 following “favorable reports our field officers filed concerning the intellectually rich, issues-oriented and highly qualitative styles of campaigns adopted by candidates for the Anambra Governorship election”. 

Huriwa which singled out the candidate of the Peoples Progressive Alliance (PPA) in the coming Anambra governorship poll Mrs. Uche Ekwunife for special commendation for galvanizing and peacefully mobilizing the support of a cross section of hundreds- of- thousands of women and men of good will through her charismatic and passionate power of presentation of facts and figures of how she would transform Anambra if elected, also commended the incumbent governor Peter Obi, Chukwuma Soludo of the Peoples Democratic Party, Chris Ngige of the Action Congress and Andy Uba of the labour Part among others for the high quality of political campaign and sensitization of the electorates.  

“Anambra governorship election will be competitive, keenly contested and excellent going by the firebrand and finest qualities of issues-based campaign adopted by the high caliber of political office seekers featured by all the political platforms,” HURIWA stated. 

Huriwa commended all the governorship flag bearers for actively visiting all rural communities including riverine areas to see things for themselves and to draw up workable and fast track developmental blueprint on how and when to bring pragmatic development to the people of Anambra even as the rights group reminded the politicians not to play on the emotional sentiments of the people to win their votes but to take their campaign promises as solemn social contract with the people that must be actualized if elected into office. 

The human rights body charged the political office seekers to sensitize the electorate on how to peacefully defend their democratic choices and ensure a transparent, free and fair election come February 6 th 2010 just as it listed the restoration of a crime free society and creation of the enabling environment for rapid industrialization of Anambra and creation of job opportunities as some of the urgent need of the people of Anambra state. 

Huriwa tasked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to exercise neutrality as election umpires and to conduct free, fair and violence- free poll in Anambra especially with the peaceful disposition of all the candidates for the election. 

According to the Rights group; “INEC must come clean and conduct a free, fair and transparent election so as to save Anambra from avoidable violent confrontation because if the umpires become biased and decide to foist on Anambra people, a predetermined result as against the popular will of the people, then the electoral panel has simply created fertile ground for civil unrests. God forbid”. 

Huriwa also called for the monitoring of the election by foreign, independent observers with some Nigeria based organized civil society groups outside of the INEC- sponsored Anambra election monitoring board which may not be independent and impartial because he who pays the piper usually dictates the tunes. “Pure independent-minded non-governmental groups made up of credible citizens should on their own monitor the Anambra election”, HURIWA averred.