Police Intercept Electoral Materials For Anambra Governorship Poll

A truck load of electoral materials suspected to be illegal was Saturday intercepted by the Police while being taken to Anambra State.

It was seized at Okija, a town in Ihiala Council of the state, along the ever-busy Onitsha-Owerri Federal Highway.

The development has thrown up questions about the credibility of the election scheduled to hold on February 6th in Anambra.

The materials in two containers were being conveyed in a truck marked No SX 139 AKD-Lagos, accompanied by two persons who claimed to be soldiers who were escorting goods meant for Port Harcourt, Rivers State. But they ran out of luck when their truck accidentally hit a commuter vehicle that was also said to be in transit.

The police officers on road checks who came to investigate the cause of the accident became suspicious when one of the drivers fled with one of the containers on sighting the officers, while the police held the other.

On close examination, the police discovered that the contents were highly secure election materials, stored in cartons, ballot papers, ballot boxes, election result sheets, alleged to belong to some ex-national Assembly members in Anambra State.

One of the escorts who had claimed to be a soldier was eventually discovered to be a student in a tertiary institution and is currently helping the police with their investigations.

When our correspondent visited the state police command, Awka, the communioner, Mr. Philemon Leha was said to be attending the Armed Forces Remembrance Day while his deputy, Oshodi-Glover Poopola was not available to speak.

But The Police Public Relations Officer, Emeka Chikwuemeka who confirmed the arrest said the contents were Independent Natioal Electoral commission INEC security election materials. He said the origin of the materials, ownership and the number, age, gender of arrested suspects remained hightly confidential at this stage.

Mr. Ifeanyi Goodness, the spokesman for the Hope Democratic Party flag bearer, Nicholas Ukachukwu, described the interception of the materials as shocking and God’s intervention.

Another police source told reporters that the Divisional Police Officer at Ihiala local council area had been directed to brief the State Criminal Investigation Department, Awka while the container was being conveyed to the police command headquarters, Awka.

At the state headquarters of INEC, Awka, the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr. Uwazuruonye Josiah was said to have gone out on an official assignment. The Public Relations Officer of INEC, however, refused to speak but directed reporters to the Administrative Secretary, Mr. Tony Agbache who said that he was not aware of the incident

Reacting, the Chairman. Prof. Chukwuma Soludo Campaign Organisation, Okey Muo-Aroh said: “Until INEC makes a categorical statement on who owns the materials and where they were going to, I think it is a very alarming situation.