THE Anambra State Government has rejected the Federal Government’s move to declare a state of emergency in the state ahead of the governorship election.
Commissioner of Information, Don Adinuba, described as outrageous, the threat by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami (SAN) today.
According to the commissioner, no fewer than 15 persons have died from violence in the state compared to Kaduna, Borno, Zamfara and the other Northern states where he said rampaging bandits have murdered hundreds of innocent citizens in the last few months.
Adinuba noted that despite the high killings in the North-West and North-East geopolitical zones, elections were held in states.
The commissioner said there was nothing in the renewed violence in Anambra in the last few weeks that warrant the declaration of an emergency rule in the South-Eastern state.
Adinuba spoke on Channels Television’s ‘Politics Today’ current affairs programme.
Suspected hoodlums, last week, had killed Dr Chike Akunyili, the widower of the late former minister of Information and director-general of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Dora Akunyili.
Dr Akunyili was reportedly shot dead on September 28 alongside seven others at Nkpor in the Idemili North Local Government Area of Anambra State. Some areas of the state including Nnewi have also recorded a pocket of violence in the state as the November 6 governorship poll approaches and as the state governor, Willie Obiano of the All Progressives Grand Alliance enters his last weeks in office after eight years.
Consequently, Malami, after the Federal Executive Council meeting at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday, said, “No possibility is ruled out by government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra hold.
“And you cannot rule out 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,” he said.
However, reacting, the Commissioner of Information in Anambra said Malami’s statement was politically motivated.
He said there have been a high level of violence in All Progressives Congress states –Imo and Ebonyi – in the last few months yet emergency rule was not considered by the Federal Government.
Adinuba carpeted Malami, saying, “Nigerians are outraged by the threat by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN.
“Since the renewed violence in Anambra State which we believe is politically motivated, not more than 15 persons have been killed. How many persons have died in Borno, Niger, Kaduna, Yobe, Zamfara, even Imo, which is APC-controlled, Ebonyi, which is APC-controlled?
“Has anybody threatened emergency rule in any of these states?
“For the past seven years, Anambra has remained the safest state, most stable in Nigeria.
“We remain the only state in the whole country that for the past seven years, has not experienced one single bank robbery; what is going on is politically motivated and the declaration by the honourable Attorney-General of the Federation is a confirmation.”
