The Oriental Online Publishers Forum (OOPF) has commended the people of Anambra State for their peaceful conduct during the state governorship election held on Saturday, reports ITRealms.
According to a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by it's chairman, Mr. Max Amuchie and secretary, Mr. Chris Ndiribe, the group said the people of the state came out en masse and peacefully cast their votes contrary to the fear expressed by pre-election analysts because of what appeared to be security lock-down of the state and threat issued by IPOB.
The OOPF congratulated Governor Willie Obiano on his landslide victory and commended the other candidates who have since accepted the outcome of the election.
The statement also hailed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for conducting a free and fair election.
The statement said the "Oriental Online Publishers Forum wishes to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for successfully conducting a free and fair governorship election in Anambra State last weekend.
Given the tension and anxiety generated during preparations for the electoral contest which took place amidst huge security concerns and call from some quarters for boycott, it is indeed a huge relief that the exercise took place without any major incident.
"It is also noteworthy that the electoral umpire carried out the poll conclusively without giving room for unnecessary waste of time and scarce resources.
"However, the commission needs to address the nightmare of logistical hiccups which hampered its operations in some parts of the state.
"This has become necessary as the next step INEC must take if its evolution to becoming a highly efficient, transparent and reliable public institution is to be realised.
"The electoral body should take those steps as a way of boosting citizens' confidence in the electoral system. If that is done minor hitches which occurred in Anambra will have become things of the past by the time the next round of governorship elections are conducted in Ekiti and Osun States. "INEC's performance in these two outstanding gubernatorial polls would indeed serve as the last of the litmus tests before the 2019 general election."
The Forum said the police, the Military and other security agencies equally gave good account of themselves during the election such that the conduct and outcome of the election raised no controversy.
Ozo Nweke Ozo/GEE
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