Hundreds of adhoc workers for the Anambra State governorship election have resigned due to fear of attacks by members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had in May increased the polling units in Anambra State from 4,608 to 5,720 with about 10,000 ad hoc workers required for the governorship poll.
However, despite its declaration of preparedness, many of those who signed up for the role have resigned.
According to a reliable source: “INEC is now short of thousands of ad-hoc staff members due to IPOB instructions. Those who initially signed up have now resigned en-masse.”
There has been low response by adhoc workers who will conduct the poll because of the security situation in the southeast region, particularly with the activities of IPOB.
The group had issued a 12-day ultimatum to the Nigerian Government for the “unconditional release” of their leader, Nnamdi Kanu, failure of which the November 6 governorship election in Anambra State may not hold.
IPOB in a statement signed by its Media and Publicity Secretary, Emma Powerful, on Sunday, gave the Nigerian Government up till November 4 to release Kanu unconditionally, or it would commence a one-week lockdown in the region effective November 5.
The group explained that the one-week sit-at-home order, which would end on November 10, was to press for the release of their leader whom the Nigerian Government was prepared to keep in incarceration ad infinitum for nothing.
