Gov Charles Soludo’s planned local government elections on September 28, 2024 is aimed at frustrating opposition political parties in Anambra State.
This is the view of the member representing Ogbaru Federal Constituency of Anambra State in the House of Representatives, Hon Afam Ogene.
Hon Ogene described the planned polls as “hasty”. Soludo is of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
Recall that the newly appointed Chairman of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission, Genevieve Osakwe, had on Monday announced that the local government election would take place on September 28. This followed the amendment of the Anambra State Electoral Law by the Anambra State House of Assembly recently.
Our correspondent reports that the state Assembly’s amendment of the Anambra Electoral Law 2024 slashed the notice period for local government elections from 60 days to 30 days.
Hon Ogene, in a statement, said the swift amendment of the electoral law was aimed at stifling the interest of the grassroots in producing credible leadership at the local government levels.
The hasty fixing of the date is a ploy by the APGA-led government, under Governor Chukwuma Soludo, to launch a political ambush on opposition parties, Ogene alleged.
Ogene, the leader of the Labour Party caucus in the House of Representatives, stated that, “Governor Soludo and the State Assembly have perpetuated an undemocratic practice by utilising the democratic institution of the Assembly to hand pick 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 election will lead to widespread disenfranchisement at the grass-roots level. Within this truncated timeframe, it will be nearly impossible for stakeholders to conduct meaningful consultations, organise primary elections, secure funding, and prepare for the election without government support.”
He described the arrangement as a disservice to the people and “a mockery of our democracy”.
According to him, “By frustrating the enthronement of true democracy at the grass-roots level – the foundation of democratic governance – the government is mindlessly undermining the very essence of democratic practice.
“It is ludicrous that 10 years after the last local government in the state – and two and a half years since he mounted the saddle – Governor Soludo and his recently appointed ANSIEC would seek to hoodwink the people of the state through a hurriedly clobbered council election process.”
Ogene urged all advocates of democracy to remain vigilant and be engaged in the upcoming Anambra local government and state election “by ensuring that the people’s will is not subverted by the state government’s deceitful tactics under Governor Soludo’s leadership.”