Anambra State Public Officers and Elders Forum (ASPOF), has kicked against the November 16th date fixed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) governorship election in Anambra State.
The group said the date coincided with the birthday and burial date of the first President of Nigeria, Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe.
A statement by the organisation said INEC should have taken note of the importance of November 16 to Ndigbo before fixing an election for the same date. The statement was signed by the group’s spokesman, Mr. Coleman Uba.
He stated that ASPOF chairman, Chief Simon Okeke had liaised with several interest groups in Nigeria and the “Diaspora to host a befitting birthday and immortalization celebrations for the first president of Nigeria, Rt. Hon. Dr. Nnamdi Azikiwe on that day.”
It stressed that preparations “have reached very advanced stages.”
According to the statement, “the forum, therefore, according to the chairman feels that it would be improper for INEC to fix the gubernatorial election on that day on which the prominent founding father of the nation would be honoured and celebrated in the state.”
It said the group met Tuesday in Abuja, and noted that “whereas the arrangements for the birthday and immortalization programme of the Great Zik have been on for more than a year now, with a lot of commitments which involve many people and groups inside and outside the country, INEC could conveniently shift the election date without breaching any constitutional or legal provisions.”
The body reminded that the last governorship election in Anambra State held on February 6, 2009, and “was timely enough for the commencement of a new gubernatorial tenure on March 15th 2010.”
The group “noted the provisions of the Electoral Act which require elections to hold not earlier than 90 days and not later than 30 days before the date of the handover and declared that if the election was moved forward by one week, no harm would be caused to any quarters.”