By Folarin Emmanuel, Abuja
A total of 2.2million voters have been confirmed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to have registered to vote in theNovember 18 governorship election in Anambra State.
Bimbo Oladumjoye, Assistant Director, ICT at INEC headquarters, Abuja made the disclosure during the official publication of Register of voters for the Nov.18 Anambra governorship election in Awka.
She said out of the figure, 50.3 per cent were females while 49.6 percent were males.
Oladumjoye further said that students were the highest number of registered voters constituting 48 per cent, adding that Idemili North Local Government Area had the highest number of registered voters.
Also speaking, Okechukwu Ibeanu, INEC National Commissioner (South-East Zone), described voters registration as the bedrock of a free, fair and credible of any election.
“It is in view of this that the INEC has decided, today, to publish the register of voters in Anambra state,’’ he said.
Ibeanu said the publication was in compliance with the Electoral Law which according to him stipulates that the commission should publish the register, 30 days before the election.
He said that the commission’s headquarters in Awka had received non-sensitive materials for the exercise.
Ibeanu, however, noted that Anambra was the first to have 37 candidates contesting for a governorship position in an election since the history of elections in Nigeria.
“In spite this number, the commission is very happy to remark that political parties have been very orderly in their campaigns without heating the polity and we are glad with such development,’’ he said.
In an address of welcome, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, confirmed that 37 political parties would be participating in the election.
He reiterated the commission’s readiness to conduct free, fair, credible and acceptable election on Nov.18 in the state.
Orji applauded the assistance of security agencies to the commission and their readiness to ensure that the election would be violent-free.
Some Chairmen of political parties that attended the meeting expressed confidence in the ability of the commission to conduct an acceptable election in the state.
