A group under the aegis of the Coalition of Imo Young Leaders have decried recent attacks on facilities of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Imo, calling on Gov Hope Uzodinma to rejig Imo security architecture immediately.
The group also tasked Uzodimma to convene a security meeting to rejig the security architecture of the state to avoid a situation of anarchy suggestive of complacency.
This is contained in a release signed by the Group’s Secretary, Mr Ajachukwu Eze and made available to newsmen in Owerri on Wednesday.
The group which condemned the attacks described them as efforts to truncate democracy and disenfranchise Nigerians as the country gears up for what many have described as a ‘make or mar’ general elections in 2023.
The Coalition of Imo Young Leaders noted that in recent times, the Commission’s facilities in Orlu and Ihitte-Uboma council areas of Imo had been razed, with its Imo headquarters in Owerri, the state capital burnt on Monday.
They called on the Imo government to step up its game by providing adequate security for the Commission’s property and for its staff, especially as the collection of Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs) began.
” This is a wake-up call, a call to action. We must leave no stone unturned. The state government must live up to expectations and not give room for hoodlums and their irresponsibility.
” We call on Gov. Hope Uzodimma to convene a security meeting with the aim of rejigging the security architecture of the state so as to avoid a situation of anarchy suggestive of complacency “, he said.
Eze argued that although some of the culprits were gunned down by security agencies, they should not have been allowed to gain access to the INEC facility in the first place.
“The state government and security operatives should not approach this situation from a point of weakness because that will give room for continued attacks. These attacks are preventable “, he said.
This situation, the group said, was capable of encouraging voter apathy and truncating the collective will of the “already fearful” masses.
They called on Imo people to join hands with security agencies and fish out those responsible for the avalanche of security breaches in the state.
