By Emma Ogbuehi
Anambra State may well become the first state where governorship election will be held under a state of emergency in this Fourth Republic.
The Federal Government which muted this possibility on Wednesday said if the state government, headed by Mr. Willie Obiano, does not show the capacity of reigning in hoodlums who have made the state ungovernable, then it would have no choice than to do the needful by declaring a state of emergency.
The state is scheduled to hold its off-season governorship election on November 6. In recent weeks, violence has spiked in the state.
But the Federal Government, which vowed on Wednesday that such anarchy can no longer be tolerated, threatened to invoke a state of emergency to ensure the sanctity of the November 6 poll.
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, gave the hint while fielding questions from journalists at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) at the presidential villa, Abuja.
According to him, nothing was ruled out in the determination of the FG to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
Malami said: “When our national security is attacked, and the sanctity of our constitutionally guaranteed democracy is threatened, no possibility is ruled out.
“As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure the sustenance of our democratic order. As a government, we have a responsibility to provide security to life and properties.
“So, within the context of these constitutional obligations of the government or the desire to establish democratic norms and order, there is no possibility that is ruled out.
“The government will certainly do the needful in terms of ensuring that our elections are held in Anambra in terms of ensuring that necessary security is provided, and in terms of ensuring protection is accorded to lives and properties.
“So, what I’m saying in essence is that no possibility is out ruled by government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our election in Anambra holds, and you cannot rule out possibilities inclusive of the possibility of declaration of state of emergency where it is established, in essence, that there is a failure on the part of the state government to ensure the sanctity of security of lives, properties and democratic order.
“So, our position as a government is that this election is going to hold and necessary security in terms of democratic order must certainly prevail for the purpose of this election.
“So, we resolve to have this election and the election is going to hold and no possibilities are ruled out in terms of ensuring the provision of security, for the purpose of the conduct of the election, as well as Anambra is concerned.”
