By Sam Akpe/Abuja
Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC chairman.
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Attahiru Jega, on Wednesday, disclosed that the success of Anambra State Governorship Election billed for November 16 would depend on the collective attitude of all the stakeholders.
Jega's disclosure came on the heels of a demand by President Goodluck Jonathan that all stakeholders in the election must play by the rules and ensure that whoever emerges victorious at the poll enjoys majority support of the people.
Both spoke in Awka, Anambra State, during Electoral Sensitisation Workshop hosted for all the stakeholders in the election by the office of the Special Adviser to the President on Inter-Party Affairs, headed by Ben Obi.
The workshop was in subsequence of the previous ones held in Edo and Ekiti states in 2012 before the last governorship elections in the two states and were considered to have contributed to the success of the exercises there.
The President said the Anambra workshop was aimed at achieving the same objective that and it was hosted to deliberate and come up with far-reaching recommendations to ensure free and fair elections in the state that would be accepted by all.
Jonathan said for the election to be fair and credible, honest balloting and counting must be administered without fraud, and there must be prompt and just resolution of election-related disputes and grievances before and after the election.
At the last count, candidates representing 23 of the 25 registered political parties are participating in the election, a situation Jonathan, who was represented by Obi, described as "democracy in its vivacity"
The President said: "There is no doubt that the political environment in the state is presently passionate and emotional; however only one candidate can become the governor at a point in time.
"Election should not be a do-or-die affair, hence there is need to eschew the policy of 'I and Me' and 'If I Do Not Win, Then Nobody Else Should.'
