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Killings: FG may declare state of emergency in Anambra–Malami

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.Perish your threat, PDP warns Buhari

.It’s unacceptable–SaMBA

.Move, a declaration of war in S’East –Oge Ndigbo

 

Obiora Ifoh and Adekunle Adesuji, Abuja

 

The Federal  Government Wednesday gave an indication that it might declare a state of emergency in Anambra if the incessant killings and rising insecurity in the state persists.

 

This, it said, is so as to protect the sanctity of the scheduled November 6 governorship election in the state.

 

It was learnt that the Attorney of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, gave the indication while briefing newsmen at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari in the State House, Abuja.

 

He said no possibility will be ruled out inclusive of a declaration of a state of emergency in the determination to ensure a hitch-free exercise.

 

“When our national security is attacked, and the sanctity of our constitutionally guaranteed democracy is threatened, no possibility is ruled out,” Malami said.

 

“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 [state of emergency] is out ruled.

 

“The government will certainly do the needful in terms of ensuring that our elections are held in a Anambra in terms of ensuring necessary security is provided, and in terms of ensuring protection is accorded to lives and properties.

 

“So, what I’m saying in essence, no possibility is out ruled by government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra holds, and you cannot out rule possibilities inclusive of the possibility of declaration or 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 if these elections are going to hold, necessary security, in terms of democratic order, must certainly prevail for the purpose of this election.

 

Reacting to the threat of  state of emergency, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has cautioned the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to perish every contemplations of imposing a state of emergency in Anambra state ahead of the November 6 governorship election.

 

The PDP holds that the reported move to foist an emergency rule in Anambra state is a ploy by the APC-led government to suppress the people, manipulate the process and rig the governorship election for the APC and its candidate.

 

In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Kola Ologbondiyan, the party demands that the APC and its administration should come clean on their roles in the sudden rise in insecurity in Anambra state ahead of the election.

 

“This demand is predicated on apprehensions in the public space that the spate of insecurity in Anambra is contrived to heighten tension in the state so as to derail the democratic process to the advantage of the APC.

 

“The PDP insists that the Federal Government has the capacity to ensure peace in Anambra before, during and even after the election, if it so desired.  We therefore invite the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government to be guided accordingly.

 

“Our party also charges the people of Anambra state to remain calm and alert as well as take steps within the ambits of the law to resist plots by the APC to derail the electoral process in its inordinate ambition to seize Anambra through the back door.”

 

Also, another group ,the Southern and Middle-Belt Alliance (SaMBA) has rejected suggestions by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami that the Federal Government may declare a state of Emergency in Anambra state to ensure that the November 6 governorship election holds.

 

SaMBA in a statement issued Wednesday evening wondered why Malami would threaten to declare a state of emergency in Anambra while ignoring the northern states of Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger States where a “Festival of Killings” are going on.

 

The Group in a statement signed by its spokesman, Prince Rwang Pam Jnr. said that Malami should not forget that despite the “killings festival” in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states, elections were conducted in those states without a declaration of a state of emergency.

 

 

SaMBA said, “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami that a state of emergency may be declared in Anambra for the conduct of the November 6, 2021 governorship election in the state.

 

“It is surprising that the Attorney General of the Federation will make such declaration seeing that such statement may lend credence to suspicions that the crisis in Anambra state is being orchestrated by some powerful political clique that enjoys the support of the ruling party to enable them rig the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

 

 

“Elections were conducted in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states despite the “killings Festival” that is going on in those states and the AGF did not talk about declaring a state of emergency in those areas.

 

 

“We note that security forces have moved into the south east region to secure lives and property and therefore call on Malami to bury the thought of declaring a state of emergency in Anambra state for the conduct of November 6 governorship election.”

 

 

Meanwhile ,a pan Igbo group ,Oge Ndigbo has voiced out that the threat to declare state of emergency in the south east would be a declaration of war against the Igbo people of the south east, and thus would be interpreted as a plan to exterminate the people of the east.

 

According to the group , the Buhari government is inevitably calling for war in the region ‘’The south east since the Buhari administration emerged had been under siege already. The specter of attempted genocide has been all over the Buhari administration. That is what the people think. It matters not whether it is said here or not. The dot in a circle people are waiting for Buhari to put to action his threat to erase the dot.’’ It is easier said than done. We lost 3m in the last war. Those who will start any war now should be ready to bear the full wrath of God

 

The group stated that the killings in Kaduna, Katsina, Borno, Zamfara , Plateau and Benue are worse while posited that the situation in the south east is FG sponsored or artificially simulated.

 

‘’The talk of state of emergency by the federal government is premature. IPOB is in full support of election in November in Anambra, and will definitely not be a problem. But all pointers are that the APC wants a destabilized Anambra so that they can rig the election. The only parties with chance to win the Anambra election is APGA and PDP.

 

The group also recalled that under the guise of operation python dance, they were forcing youths into a pond of mud, forcing them to drown in mud ponds, what would one expect under an evil state of emergency that is baseless and uncalled for. Buhari should start with Katsina. He should just leave the threat and plan which they had planned since Buratai’s tenure as Chief of Army Staff COAS. It will not work . And really, we will now have enough evidence to ensure he goes to Hague

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