Anambra Poll: Tension as hundreds of INEC Adhoc staff resign

It has now been reported that hundreds of INEC Adhoc-Staff for the governorship election in Anambra State have resigned due to threats from members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in May, increased the number of polling units in Anambra State from 4,608 to 5,720, requiring about 10,000 ad-hoc workers for the governorship election.

Despite the statement of readiness, many of those who signed up for the position have resigned.

“INEC is now short of thousands of ad-hoc staff members due to IPOB instructions,” according to a reliable source. Those who signed up in the first place have now all resigned.”

The group had given the Nigerian government a 12-day deadline to release their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, “unconditionally,” failing which the governorship election in Anambra State on November 6 could be cancelled.

IPOB gave the Nigerian government until November 4 to release Kanu unconditionally, or it would impose a one-week lockdown in the region, according to a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Sunday.

The group explained that the one-week sit-in order, which began on November 10 and would end on November 10, was to demand the release of their leader, whom the Nigerian government was willing to keep imprisoned indefinitely for no reason.