 Einech dechlaes anambroelections inconclusif due to insecurity in Ufial, a local government area of the state and Nigeria's Senator Alin Dumey urges President Bahari to sign unexplained wealth order. This is plus politics, I am Mary Annacol. The Anambro State Governorship Election has been declared inconclusif by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Einech. The State Returning Officer for the election Florence will be the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Calabar, who made the declaration added that this was because there was no election in Ihala local government area, which has over 148,000 registered voters. Now, Einech could not deploy voting materials to Ihala during Saturday's election because of the security threat, she said. But so far, Charles Soludo, the All-Progressive Grand Alliance candidate, had won the elections in 18 out of the 21 local government areas of the state. Now, the supplementary election would be conducted in Ihala come Tuesday, November 9. Well, joining us to discuss the events in Anambra so far is Law Merfor. He is a public affairs analyst and a legal practitioner. We also have Vince Oenyequelu, he is a national security consult and risk strategist. And we also have Achike Chude, who is a political analyst and he was an observer during the elections. Thank you very much gentlemen for joining us. Thank you. Thank you for hosting us. Thank you. Well, yeah, I'm going to start with you Achike because you were an observer and you were part of the situation room. Now you have been in Anambra before the elections and of course after the elections. Let's start by looking at the trouble spot Ihala. As opposed to what everybody thought, you know, the elections went smoothly, no violence, people came out and casted their votes. Asides from the fact that the beavers were not working, what else did you observe? Well, I mean, it was, look what happened, we don't know exactly what happened the very first time that is following the election on Saturday. That showed that Ihala was not part of the voting process. Of course there are all kinds of issues, a little bit of disturbance. They were told that the military fired some shots of what I mean. The reality is that the election eventually did not take place in Ihala. It took place the following day and then it followed the same pattern that we have seen in other parts of the state. That is a peaceful election. Obviously, Anambra and Embraer, so in the Anambra where we are desirous of having a free and fair election, that was not characterized by any form of violence and disturbance. It was the moment to be proud of the people of Anambra that stood to be counted. In as much as we are all aware that the turnout was not fantastic, it has never been. In fact, Anambra State has been quite notorious for not having very large turnout during the election. This followed another pattern. What made it worse was the pre-election state of insecurity and the prehension and tension that characterized the events leading to the election. It is good that the election has been concluded. We now wait for the final definitive statement as to the winner of that process. There are people who think that this turnout was great because they didn't expect people to come up based on the fact that they were afraid of what could have happened. Of course, with the loads of security, there was a cry by governors of the south-east about the militarization of Anambra. When you say that the turnout was not so great, in this regard wouldn't you say that this was even better than you expected? Well, in the context of the events leading to the election, it was not bad. In fact, I had predicted to somebody, I think to a media organisation while I was in Anambra State during the election, I had predicted that if we had anything from 12% to 15% of the turnout, that would be fair to me. Since we were having a usually low turnout of around 18, 22, 24% of the voters in Anambra State, so with the extraordinary peculiar situation leading to the election, I think the turnout I would agree with you was fairly reasonable, at least on that basis alone. Yes, it was. Vince, you were in the field. I did see you on election day and you could read some of the security handling of the situation in the country, in the state, I beg your pardon. I did remember saying that, I repeated it over and over again, that many people were calling me, lots of people were sending me messages and saying I have to be safe, why am I not wearing a bulletproof vest, et cetera, et cetera. And this is the feel that people were getting from outside the state, but when I got to the state, it was pretty calm. But you did say that, well, I hadn't been there for a long time, so I did not necessarily understand what was going on in Anambra. Paint a picture for us. The picture of what you saw in Anambra was not the real events. It was not the real sides and views of Anambra. I've been here permanently for over two and a half months physically, and I can assure you that Anambra was pretty dirty. Anambra was pretty dangerous. I don't want to paint a picture that would scare people. So when you saw it for the two days you were in Anambra a couple of days, it was not the real situation that would be seen in Anambra. In Anambra, you don't step out anymore in the night, you totally stay indoors. What you saw in Anambra on Friday was silent, deserted streets. It wasn't for a joke. The funny thing about the presence of the security agencies, yes, it helps to have the organized security agencies on ground. However, most people of Anambra origin actually see the security agencies not as friends, but they see them as enemies. I don't know where they got that state of mind, but they see the security agencies as oppressors in one way. They see them as people that they have tagged to be involved in extra judicial killings. So when you saw in Anambra where people left Anambra, a lot of people didn't have to go to any of which state. A lot of people left for Delta, for Asaba, just to stay out of the picture. So personally, I know that Anambra has been very poorly when it comes to the issue of our election apathy. But what we saw on Saturday was actually more people stayed away totally. And I met you in Amor, for example, and I told Amor that I just went through to the governor's lodge, to the DSS headquarters, to the police command headquarters, to all the whole headquarters in Alkar. But you saw the numbers. And obviously, Anambra is still dangerous. I've seen killings in Anambra that I don't want to paint a picture, because if I tell you about people that will shoot straight to the head, then if you shoot to the body again, just in case if you have some kind of talisman, they shoot straight to the head. And until they see the grain marrows on the floor, they will not let go. Anambra was pretty nasty. What do you think that the security person was responsible for what you're describing? Because I might never understand what you're saying because I didn't see it, I didn't experience it. But I also remember that from Thursday people were literally just peeping through their windows, not necessarily moving about as they would want to. But why do you think that Anambra became such a hotbed? Because before the Anambra elections, what we heard more of was email states. How did it move to Anambra and become so heated that what you're describing seems to be the order of the day before the elections? Obviously, to be honest to you, most of us that have been on ground have an idea of what is wrong in Anambra state. What is it? Anambra state wasn't actually so, obviously, let me land. I would not be able to tell you in totality the reason because I have to think about my own personal safety and security also. So you have to forgive me. I can't say it, but the government of the day, the people in power, know what's going on at the motor parks. I live in that way. They know what's up, but I cannot say more than that. I have to think about my family life and my security too. So I don't want to delve into areas that you don't have any security to provide for me. But the people in power know what's going on in Anambra state. They know the war of the hits. They know what's going on. They cannot pretend they don't know. Because when people die in Anambra, even the media do not even carry any more because the media don't want to tell people how dangerous Anambra was. And if the media don't carry it, you will not know what's going on. So if somebody is killed in Mbuku or somebody is killed in Aguaoka, if the media don't carry it, you will never know what happened. But except you're a local, you know what happened last night. You know when people are shot in the presence of their own mother that gave birth to them. So they're next to their mother and the guys will come and bring them down. So if the media don't announce it, you will not know. But we are a local spirit. But obviously I won't come out in the public and start telling you what's going on. Because I have to take care of my life also and so I have to go after myself too. I'm also very curious. Are these Anambarians killing themselves or do you think that these are outsiders coming to perpetrate acts of violence against the people of Anambra? I'm trying to understand because again, iPop has been put on the chopping board here because of all of the unrest that has been experienced in Anambra States again. Not to try to put you on the spot, but who do you think are the people who are responsible for what's happening? In response to the best of my knowledge, iPop has nothing. They have nothing to do with the killings in Anambra State. Totally they have nothing to do with it. I could be wrong and I hope I'm wrong. But I can tell you that iPop has nothing. They are not involved in the killings in Anambra State. The people in power know what is happening in Anambra State. iPop has got nothing to do with it. I could be wrong, but based on my own physical experience here, it has nothing to do with iPop. And to tell you innocent with the killings in Anambra State. Totally innocent. All right. Let me come to Dr Mefford. You obviously have been watching things from the outside in, because I'm not sure that you're from Anambra State. But you must have had a bird's eye view of what's happening, not just in Anambra, but in the South East. And now, INEC has shifted elections from Sunday until Tuesday. Of course, they're trying to make sure that the results are properly put together, and then, of course, the winner is announced. Do you see INEC being able to conduct that election in Ihala based on all the information that you've heard as to what's happening there? Thank you. First, I am from Anambra State, and I'm also politically active, very, very active. Are you still in Anambra? No, I have returned to Abuja, but I know a lot about my state. And I have followed the gubernatorial election. I have followed it from the beginning to this very moment. And I think I have a fair view of what is going on, what has transpired, and what would happen tomorrow, if tomorrow comes. On the whole, I think we should commend the Anambrarians, commend the security operatives, commend INEC, for being able to pull this through, because the build-up to the election didn't really inspire much confidence. Nobody knew the election would even hold in the first place. So, for it to come and go, I think it's something quite commendable. I believe it could be better, but given the circumstances, I think it's good enough what we have so far. Anambra is made up of 21 local governments, and the election has been concluded in 20. Rhyw bernorth, maybe if it's on pockets of feeds, then somewhere I think in Oguaru and the Demilion North, you still have a few places where run-off may be warranted. But here particularly, the reason we are given, I think is plausible. The reason is that INEC didn't have sufficient manpower to be able to mobilise to site. Remember, we had the reports from the media telling us that INEC ad hoc staff were resigning, and it turned out to be true. Yes, even if you followed through also, in a polling unit, you need to have an upgrade of four INEC officials. We had them on the upgrade system in the Anambra election. That will show you that manpower was really a short supply. But that could also... I'm sorry, Dr Law. Could that also not be tied to the fact that maybe the parents and guardians of these people who were supposed to be working as ad hoc staff did not sign waiver forms or were afraid of what was happening in Anambra, and that's why they didn't let them show up? Of course, there are reasons for it. Even if your child is a copper, I'm sure you wouldn't want the child to volunteer given the way Anambra was unraveling at that moment. So your reason is not unconnected. It's likely that people were pulling out their children from the firing line. You don't allow your relation to insert himself in the enhanced way for any reason. So obviously, those ad hoc staff may have been prepared or thrown by their families to really pull out. But whatever the reason is, evidently many of them pulled out and they affected Ehiala. So tomorrow we need to have Ehiala come into the picture. This will enable INEC to fulfill all the constitutional and other expanded literary provisions because you ought to hold the elections. And where elections cannot hold, you can ignore only on one condition. Where the margin of win by the person topping the list and the person following him, the difference between their scores must be larger than the registered number of voters. And you know that Saludos scored 103,000 and a follow-up of the PDPs scored 52,000. So separating them is about 51,000 votes. So what that means is that we have up to 124,000, I think, registered voters in Ehiala. That is greater than the margin of victory of Chukuba Saludo. So if you go on and declare Saludo winner, you are assuming that he has won Ehiala or that those who registered in Ehiala to vote do not count because she will not allow you to do that. That's exactly where we are facing at the moment. And I think that the decision of Professor Florence Obey, the Colletin and the Returning Officer for Anambra State Elections, her decision is perfectly not that. And waiting till tomorrow for filled out constitutional requirements will not be too much to really sacrifice is a constitutional requirement. But I do not expect anything to change because even if you check the 20 local governments already declared, you will see that the average percentage turned out of voters per local government, none of them exceeded 10%. So even if you go on the same upgrade for Ehiala, even if you double it to 20%, that will still give you less than 20,000 voters that will come out in Ehiala. Soludo does not score a single vote tomorrow. And Paolo Zibwm takes the entire 20,000 votes that will come in tomorrow. He will still be about 30,000 votes short of the margin already secured by Soludo. So what is going to happen tomorrow is not really to decide who will be the governor. Soludo is the governor-elect. Well, we cannot I'm sorry, Dr Mefford, we cannot jump the gun. No, no, no, that's not our place to say we would allow INEC to do the declaration, make sure that they count the votes and then declare whoever emerges as the governor, but it's not our place. We can only make assumptions. But I want to quickly come to you, Achike. One thing that was worthy of note during the elections was that we saw a lot more women show up in Anambra, both young, old, physically impaired, they all showed up against all odds. One would have thought that the women would have sat indoors and allowed the men to come out knowing that if anything were to happen they would be able to take care of themselves. But we saw more women coming out. Now, I also want to raise something quickly because you were an observer before I go back to Vince. Now, before the suspension of the coalition of results, before INEC talked about the Ihiala situation, there was issues around Orumba Nos, where an official said he was forced to sign election results. Now, a committee was set up quickly by INEC to review the dispute in Orumba Nos. Do you see that being done and dusted before tomorrow? The latest report I had was that the matter had been resolved and that that particular local government had been incorporated. That was the report I read. You know, obviously so many things have happened in an election. A lot of things some of us do not know. And such a meeting at the Collision Centre is a place where people are able to actually ventilate their grievances as we hope that answers can be provided. I believe that since the committee set up a committee to look into it, no other person is a power to do that. I think that by the way, these are some of the things that have happened. We do not expect perfection in the electoral process. We see glitches and glitches here and there. Then you talked about the participation of women which was actually very commendable. A lot of them came out. But then, what would women stay back and allow the men to come and exercise their own franchise? Democracy is all about everybody. It's all about those people who are of age who also have a stake to protect. The women obviously felt that they had the stake to protect and the rightfully came out. It's not just the women who we also saw some disabled. Obviously, INEC did a lot in that direction because the report we had from the field from our people on the field was that adequate infrastructure was put in place for the vulnerable and for the disabled. In fact, pregnant women were given an expedited response by INEC who were allowed to vote. Other people who were also disabled were given expedited access to the voting point. I think that some of these issues were very commendable. Of course, we talked about the issue of security. Somehow, I think it was mentioned in the course of this discussion. I was impressed. I can tell you, not just myself, a lot of us from the suicide situation were quite impressed with the way the security forces, soldiers, policemen conducted themselves. Maybe contrary to the impression people had had all this while. Perhaps there was a special kind of reaction that the police and the security forces were mandated to show during the election. But whichever way it was quite commendable they treated observers with a lot of respect and courtesy. Even those who were in the queue were also respected too. I think that this is what we want to see going forward. Finally, Vince, I'm coming to you because of the issue of insecurity. You've said that what's happening in the States is known to all, especially those in power. Of course, the reason why we're having this conversation is because there was elections in Anambra and, you know, insecurity was a front burner issue because you cannot have an election if you have a state that is, you know, facing some form of insecurity. Now, the elections have come. They will soon be over tomorrow and, of course, life continues. But as a security person what would you be proposing that the government of the day do to put an end to this insecurity because it seems that it goes beyond the election in itself. It could be much more than that meets the eye. Two things I would suggest. The government of the day, the current government, I'm not sure they have the capacity to do anything much. Rather, I would hope that a new government that will come in place would be a no-nonsense government that will honestly and holistically call a spade a spade because I believe that he will get the intelligence the information about what's going on in Anambra State about insecurity. I think, honestly, it's not difficult for him to take a stand if he wants to take a stand. And that's what I think we should do in Anambra State because, honestly, in Anambra State I've not left Anambra State yet. And I think we have to be very careful our statements. We don't have to make insight in statements that will make somebody feel like, oh, you're a loser, you're a winner, oh, I won, oh, you lost. I think we need to come together now and ask India Anambra to move our dear state forward what we call the spade of Anambra the state we love. We need to come together and now stop talking about you lost I won, da da da da let's talk about how to move forward let the best man win and the best man should serve everybody in Anambra State because we want Anambra State to be better security wise we want our daughters to come back home and do their traditional marriages we want to have our sons to come back home and do their young festival we don't want people to be shot dead as if it's in Hollywood because if you see things that happen and you want to express way in the past month it's like in Hollywood it's like what you see in Hollywood we don't want to see that and I also want the media to be on this in their correspondence they should not hide information about crime that people can have the true picture but what you saw on Saturday if you're just a stranger that is not the Anambra we know but most have come and they've gone back to their stations we are still here we need peace everybody should come on board and know that killing is not the best way for us we want everybody to come to us we can build a beautiful state a state we love let me just briefly say this he says that what we saw on Saturday is not the Anambra we know but it is the Anambra we want to know it is the Anambra that we want to see it is the Anambra that is peaceful because in fact this is the Anambra we have always known Anambra has always been a peaceful place the whole of the South East has always been a very peaceful place except for the activities of maybe the past six months or the past one year and all that so that is the Anambra that is what Igbo man has always been known for he has always been a peaceful person whether in the South East or whether he's outside of the South East that has been his forte his greatest strength he's a peace maker and he's a builder he's not a trouble maker but again in order not to take your time we also know that the problem of insecurity does not lie within the domain of the South East or the Anambra state it is a national political issue that should be addressed as such I would really love to take you up on this but I'll move to Dr Meffa because of time I've been in Inugul and the state seems to be very peaceful they've not even recorded any case of you know or whatever uprising they seem to be leaving in paradise for want of a better word Dr Meffa this is for you I'm listening I didn't hear the question you talked about living in Inugul and being peaceful I was just responding to but I'm talking to you now because I want you to give us your last words before we wrap up my last line is this you see Anambra is a great state and a very exemplary state and we are in touch for some hiccups yesterday's election would have been the best ever in Nigeria the electronic voting machine failed generally and it caused a lot of a lot of delay and it disenfranchised a lot of people also that left a sharp taste on our mouth and the INEC has to do something about that moving forward in Ehiala and of course in other places in the country and again I want to still commend the security operatives they need to put an ice on that cake tomorrow by remaining professional the way they have been all through this exercise and then finally I would want to advise the contestants in this election 18 covenorship candidates they are all winners if you ask me participating and coming this far is a level of win already whoever eventually emerges tomorrow whether it is Soludo or somebody else who emerges we should all put hands together and ensure that the state is rebuilt and we have a better Anambra Anambra has always been an exemplary state let us not forget Anambra is the gateway to the east if we don't get it right in Anambra the rest of the south east may be struggling because of Anambra so let us be aware of this contemporary historical responsibility placed on us by nature we have to go Mefo, Lord Vince, Onye, Cwylw a Chikei Tudey, thank you so much for being part of this conversation we look forward to tomorrow and the results that will come out of it thank you alright thank you all for staying with us we'll come on with plus politics in a few minutes talking about the senate wanting President Bahari to order people to disclose the source of their wealth so we'll take a short break now and when we come back more