2019 polls: Violence, major challenge in Anambra- INEC

TRACKING>>Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, Anambra Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said that violence was the major challenge in the conduct of 2019 general elections in the state.

Orji made the disclosure during the INEC review meeting of the 2019 General Elections held on Thursday in Awka.

The REC said the commission recorded violence in Orumba North, Anambra East, Idemili North and Ogbaru Areas of the state which constituted a hindrance.

Orji also said that INEC faced logistics challenges in the state during the polls and suffered a major setback following the fire incident recorded a few days to the commencement of the elections that affected its materials.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalled that two container-loads of card reader machines got burnt a few days to 2019 elections in Awka head office of INEC.

The INEC official said the review meeting which was done every four years after the general elections would afford the commission the opportunity to harvest individual experiences.

“The 85 participants attending the event are people who participated in the conduct of the 2019 elections and it is expected that they present their personal experiences with a view to improving on future exercise,” he said.

Orji appealed to participants to come up with ideas that would improve in the conduct of future elections in not only Anambra, but the country at large.

Dr Alex Agbaenyi a lecturer in the Political science Department of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka commended INEC for the exercise.

He said the meeting would enable the INEC come up with solutions to such challenges like thuggery and bad electoral conducts by party agents which adversely affected the 2019 exercise.

NAN reports that the meeting was attended by all INEC heads of departments in Anambra, the 21 local government electoral officers, assistant electoral officers, registration area officers and some INEC officials from Abuja national headquarters among others.