Aspirants Petition Assembly Over LG Polls

The Anambra Association of Chairmanship and Councillorship Aspirants has petitioned the State House of Assembly over the non-conduct of local government election in the state. The aspirants came from the 21 local governments in the state.

In the petition, addressed to the Speaker of the House, the group urged him to intervene and “end the decade of the absence of democratic governance” in the local government areas of the state.

The letter was signed by the association’s Chairman, Secretary and Publicity Secretary, Messrs Chris Nnorom (PDP), Chinedu Ifeacho (APGA) and Olisaemeka Onyeka (ACN), respectively.

The association also called on the Assembly to institute a public hearing on the alleged embezzlement and misappropriation of council funds in the state, among other demands.

“We want the Anambra House of Assembly to investigate the irregularities and manipulations that led to the non-conduct of local government elections in the state.

“The State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) should be mandated by the house to furnish it with a workable election time table for the immediate conduct of the council polls.”

The group also called on the legislature to pass a resolution mandating Gov. Peter Obi to release the N200 million appropriated in the 2012 state budget for the poll to ANSIEC.

It said this would facilitate the immediate kick-off of preparations for the election.

The association also asked the house to pass a resolution urging the governor to properly constitute the ANSIEC board by appointing another chairman and five members.

This, it said,would enable it deal with all legal problems militating against proper elections.

The aspirants, who thronged the assembly complex to deliver the letter, could not see the speaker, and were not addressed by any official of the house.