The Igbo Elders Consultative Forum has ahead of the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State asked the Federal Government to attend to two of it’s urgent needs.
According to the Chairman of the IECF and former Governor of Anambra State, Chief Chukwuemeka Ezeife, the immediate withdrawal of military men and security agencies in the South East region will help the upcoming election run smoothly.
Ezeife who spoke yesterday in Abuja also urged the government to immediately set free over 5,000 Igbo youths arrested by security agencies on the suspicion of being members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and the Eastern Security Network, ESN.
Naija News reports that IECF demand is coming less than 96 hours to the governorship election in Anambra State.
There have been series of security threats ahead of the poll and IECF is optimistic that embracing dialogue with concerned bodies will forestall any plan to disrupt the Saturday exercise.
The Igbo elders stressed that meeting the two demands would facilitate peace process and restoration of normalcy in the South East.
Ezeife said, “Our attention has been drawn to the increasing militarisation of the South East, and the consequent built-up tension and security challenges in the zone, thus threatening a hitch-free conduct of the scheduled November 6, 2021 Anambra State election.”
IECF said it was worried that the increasing insecurity in the South East has taken a frightening dimension and remains a terrible and worrisome puzzle that must be addressed for the Independent National Electoral Committee to conduct a free, fair and credible election in Anambra State.
The forum added, “We, therefore call on the Federal Government to demilitarise the South East, as well as take other necessary administrative and non-kinetic measures to restore peace in the zone, thus paving way for a smooth conduct of the scheduled Anambra State election.
“Similarly, the Federal Government should immediately release the over 5,000 Igbo youths arrested by security agencies, and dumped in different detention camps in various parts of the country under dehumanising conditions in the name of unknown gunmen, IPOB, ESN, among others.”
Ezeife stressed that a political solution through the embrace of dialogue with all relevant stakeholders is paramount to the present security imbroglio in the South East.
“It is our firm belief that a secured and peaceful environment is indispensable for the conduct of free, fair and credible election in any democratic state, including Anambra State,” the IECF chairman reiterated.
This article was originally published on Naija News