The House of Representatives member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra, Afam Ogene, has expressed dissatisfaction over what he called a “hasty” amendment of the Anambra State Electoral Law by the Anambra State House of Assembly.
Ogene, who is also the leader of the Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives, described the move as a promotion of undemocratic tactics, aimed at frustrating and politically ambushing opposition parties in the state.
The PUNCH had reported that the Anambra State governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, had on Tuesday, inaugurated the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, with Genevieve Osakwe as Chairman of the Commission.
The Commission, with the amendment of the state electoral law, had also announced Saturday, September 28, 2024, as the date for the local government elections to be held in the state. This is coming after 10 years of non-conduct of elections at that level.
Ogene, in a statement in Awka, the state capital, criticised the swift amendment of the state’s electoral law.
He said, “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-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 added that the election date fell short of the stipulated 60 days enshrined in the constitution for the election to be held after the announcement.
He said, “Soludo and the state Assembly have perpetuated an undemocratic practice by utilising 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 election without government support.”
Criticizing the APGA-led government’s actions, Ogene further declared, “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.
“Indeed, it is ludicrous that 10 years after the last local government in the state – and two and half years since he mounted the saddle – Soludo and his recently appointed ANSIEC would seek to hoodwink the people of the state through a hurriedly clobbered council election process.”
However, Soludo’s Press Secretary, Christian Aburime, reacting to the lawmaker’s assertions, said Ogene was not speaking for the people of Anambra, insisting that the LG poll is in the right direction.
Aburime said, “He is speaking for himself, not the good people of Anambra State. Anambra people are happy with the democratic manner the State Government under the leadership of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo is going about conducting the local government election in Anambra State.
“For a decade, no local government election has been conducted in Anambra State. With this democratic move by Governor Soludo’s led administration, one can only but commend the government for its giant strides in deepening our democracy at the grassroots.”
Also reacting, the National Publicity Secretary of APGA, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, said Ogene shot himself in the foot.
“What Ogene has done is to shoot himself in the leg because interestingly the six lawmakers of his party were part of the Assembly session.
“He sees them by this statement as a dumb set of lawmakers because if they participated in the amendment of the Anambra State Electoral Law, he would have expressed a loss of confidence in his party members.
“So he should channel his protest to the six LP members at the state Assembly and he should carry out a probe of their individual contributions to that law and also provide proof if they were not part of the legislation at the chambers of the Anambra State House of Assembly.”