The new Resident Electoral
Commissioner (REC), Enugu state, Mr. Emeka Ononamadu, yesterday counseled
pro-Biafra activists, promoting boycott of elections in Anambra state and other
part of the South- East geo-political zone of the country to have a re-think as
such directive would do more harm than good.
Ononamadu specially advised
Indigenous People of Biafra IPOB) and the Movement for the Actualization of the
Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), to rather mobilize those who believe in
their cause to participate in the current continuous voter’s registration (CVR)
exercise, which would even help in the event that there was a referendum which
they were clamoring for.
Addressing a press conference in
Enugu to update journalists on the continuous voter’s registration exercise in
the state, the REC stated that although there had not been any attempt by any
group to interfere with the exercise in the state, those calling for the
boycott of Anambra November governorship election were doing a disservice to
the people.
Ononamadu said: “Although we don’t
have challenge of MASSOB/IPOB in Enugu state with regard to the ongoing CVR
exercise, the call for boycott of election in other places is meaningless.
No matter the level of your
agitation, election is very important. Somebody must be voted and rule in the
state.
“Even if you want to do a referendum,
you will still need voters’ registration, so telling people not to participate
is like shooting yourself on the foot. Election has no ethnic/religious face.
Even in churches and in selection of traditional rulers, elections are
conducted. It has become part and parcel of the society. Election is a central
tool you can use to aggregate opinion about who rules.”
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