Anambra Commissioner for Information, C. Don Adinuba, said a report that people are leaving the state in large numbers is false.
Mr Adinuba stated that a large number of people, especially qualified voters, “are pouring into the state to participate in the November 6 governorship election, which begins in just a few hours”.
He expressed this in a press statement early on Saturday in Awka, saying that the attention of Anambra State Government was drawn to a “sensational” news item which claimed that people were leaving Anambra on account of political violence.
Mr Adinuba refuted the report, saying that Anambra people were not expressing fears of any possible political violence before and during the vote.
He said the report was utterly false, and disinformation, adding;
Our people are very conscious of their roots, and so usually register to vote in the state even when they live and work elsewhere.
The Commissioner noted that many people who work in towns and cities in Anambra usually register in their home communities and with the declaration of Thursday and Friday as work-free days for state employees, many people have traveled to their various places to vote.
Speaking further, Mr Adinuba said a lot of people have, in the last 24 hours, been leaving cities and towns for their home communities “where they have influence and choose to vote”.
He stated;
It is, therefore, wrong for any news medium to claim that Anambra people are leaving the state in droves for fear of political violence.
If the journalist who wrote the report claiming an exodus had bothered to seek a clarification or explanation of the new development, he would not have written the sensational report.
It is surprising that any journalist could file such a report without checking with the government, despite the well-known, open-door policy of this administration towards the media.
Mr Adinuba said that;
It is worthy of note that despite the politically-motivated violence of the last one month, Anambra remains Nigeria’s safest state.
The commissioner said even with the election yet to hold, there was “practically no political violence in the state right now as Anambra is peaceful and calm”.
He stated;
I urge all Anambra people to disregard ill-planned reports and come out early to cast their votes for their preferred candidate.
