David-ChyddyEleke reports that eligible voters in some hitherto ungoverned communities in Anambra State will heave a sigh of relief as they join others in the state to elect a governor on November 8, 2025.
Insecurity has for years been a big challenge to Anambra State. This is so much so that in past elections, the activities of separatists and other criminals elements have denied indigenes of many communities from participating in the election of their governors. This started in 2017 when the leadership of Indigenous people of Biafra declared ‘No Referendum, No Election’ in the state. At the time when former governor, Chief Willie Obiano was working for his re-election, it came as a rude shock when the leader of Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Mr Nnamdi Kanu announced that henceforth, no election would be allowed to hold in the South East, except the Federal Government announced a date for referendum.
Kanu made the announcement in June, 2017, shortly after he was released on bail under stringent conditions, which included that he must not be seen in any gathering of more than 10 persons. He was pictured in a short video addressing his supporters in his compound in Umuahia when he made the declaration. He said: “Elections will be boycotted in the South-east states starting with the Anambra State gubernatorial election scheduled for November 18 if the federal government fails to hold referendum for the realisation of the state of Biafra. If the federal government does not agree with us on a date for referendum, there will be no elections in the South-east, we are starting with Anambra come November this year (2017). There will be no governorship election in Anambra State.”