The leading opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has told the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led Federal Government to perish the thought of imposing a state of emergency in Anambra State.
The Federal Government had on Wednesday said it is not foreclosing the possibility of declaring state of emergency in Anambra State following widespread violence in the buildup to the November 6 governorship election.
Minister of Justice and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF), Abubakar Malami, had told journalists at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari, that the government would take proactive measures to ensure that the democratic order was kept safe.
The PDP, through its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, alleged that the move to foist an emergency rule in Anambra state was a ploy by the APC-led government to suppress the people, manipulate the process and rig the governorship election for the APC and its candidate.
Ologbondiyan asked the APC and its administration to come clean on their role in the sudden rise of insecurity in Anambra.
“This demand is predicated on apprehensions in the public space that the spate of insecurity in Anambra is contrived to heighten tension in the state so as to derail the democratic process to the advantage of the APC.
“The PDP insists that the Federal Government has the capacity to ensure peace in Anambra before, during and even after the election, if it so desired.
“We therefore invite the President Muhammadu Buhari-led APC Federal Government to be guided accordingly. Our party also charges the people of Anambra state to remain calm and alert as well as take steps within the ambits of the law to resist plots by the APC to derail the electoral process in its inordinate ambition to seize Anambra through the back door,” he also said.
Malami told journalists at the State House: “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 out ruled by 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 declaration or 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 this elections are going to hold necessary security in terms of democratic order most certainly prevail for the purpose of this election.
“So, we resolves 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,” Malami said.