Following the increased killings and insecurity in the South Eastern commercial city of Anambra State as the November 6 governorship election in the state draws close, the Federal Government has threatened to declare a state of emergency if the security situation in the state remains the same.
This was made known by the Attorney General of the Federation, AGF, and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami who was responding to questions from newsmen after the Federal Executive Council, FEC, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Wednesday.
He said the possibility of declaring a state of emergency abound as it remains the responsibility of the government to sustain the democratic order in the nation.
“When our national security is attacked, and the sanctity of our constitutionally guaranteed democracy is threatened, no possibility is ruled out. As a government, we have a responsibility to ensure the sustenance of our democratic order. As a government, we have a responsibility to provide security to life and properties.
“So, within the context of these constitutional obligations, of the government or the desire to establish democratic norms and order, there is no possibility that is out ruled.
“The government will certainly do the needful in terms of ensuring that our elections are held in Anambra in terms of ensuring necessary security is provided, and in terms of ensuring protection is accorded to lives and properties.
“So, what I’m saying in essence, no possibility is ruled out by the government in terms of ensuring the sanctity of our democratic order, in terms of ensuring that our elections in Anambra holds, and you cannot out rule possibilities inclusive of the possibility of a declaration of a 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.
“So, our position as a government is these elections are going to hold and necessary security in terms of democratic order most certainly prevail for the purpose of this election.
“So, we resolve to have these elections. The elections are going to hold and no possibilities are ruled out in terms of ensuring the provision of security, for the purpose of the conduct of the election, as well as Anambra, is concerned.”
However, the Anambra State Government has rejected the notion that the federal government would sanction emergency rule in the state.
The state commissioner for information, Don Adinuba, while speaking on Channels Television said the killings which are politically motivated are less than what is obtainable in states controlled by the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) and wondered why that was not applicable in those states.
According to him:
“Nigerians are outraged by the threat of the honorable attorney-general and minister of justice of the federation, a senior advocate of Nigeria. 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, and Ebonyi, [also] APC-controlled, has anybody threatened emergency rule in any of these states?
“For the past seven years, Anambra state has remained the safest state, most stable in Nigeria. We remained the only state in the country that for the past seven years, we have not experienced a single bank robbery.
“What is going on here is politically motivated and the declaration by the attorney-general of the federation is a confirmation.
“I don’t want us to live in denial. What prompted the attorney-general of the federation to make that declaration is pure politics. There is no point being in denial.
“I have asked a very simple question: What is the situation in Borno, Niger, Plateau, Benue, Adamawa, and Taraba? Elections were held in all these states, free and fair, declared by INEC.
“What is so special that the federal government of Nigeria should be contemplating a state of emergency. It is all about politics. There is nothing that has not been done to ensure that the right candidates do not participate in the election, including going as far as Birnin Kudu.”
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