By Saidu Idris
365Daily – The Senator Andy Uba Governorship Campaign Organisation (SAUGCO) has accused the Governor of Anambra State, Willie Obiano, of compelling civil servants in the state to submit their voters cards or risk withholdal of their salaries.
SAUGCO said this was part of a plot by the Governor to use his position to influence votes for his party, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), in the upcoming November 6 governorship election in the state as he had done in the past.
The organisation added that the civil servants were given till Wednesday, October 6, 2021, to comply to the directive or risk the loss of their salaries.
The Director, Media and Publicity of SAUGCO, Hon. Victor Afam Ogene, stated in a press statement issued on Monday, October 4, 2021: “SAUGCO has uncovered a covert and obnoxious directive by Governor Willy Obiano, to all civil servants in the state to submit their voters’ card ahead of the November 6, 2021 governorship election.
“The Governor, allegedly, threatened to withhold the salaries of civil servants who fail to comply by Wednesday, October 6, 2021.
“In one of the circulars which convened the directive, a Director in the State’s civil service, Nkechi Adinnuh requested teachers through the Anambra State Universal Basic Education Board, ASUBEB, to submit among others, their National Identification Number (NIN), copy of their last promotion letter and incredibly, voters’ card.”
Ogene wondered why the Governor “would forcibly seek to coerce the state’s work force into being part of his illegal schemes every election cycle.”
He continued: “We state, with every emphasis at our disposal, that a voter’s card is the personal property of the owner of such card, and cannot be forcibly surrendered to any other person, or authority, under whatever guise.
“We recall that four years ago, in the 2017 gubernatorial election in the state, Governor Obiano through the same political subterfuge, deceived Anambra civil servants into surrendering their voters’ card; only to use same to conjure his magical re-election victory, despite his poor governance ratings.
“Today, four years after, Gov. Obiano is back to the same wily ways, working in cahoots with some nefarious staffers of the Independent National Election Commission, INEC to attempt a brazen subversion of the desire of ndi Anambra to freely elect their own leader.”
SAUGCO urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Department of State Security, DSS and other relevant security agencies to “forestall the plan to clone the voters’ card of Anambra civil servants.”
The Media Director added: “We wish to enjoin the people of Anambra State, particularly teeming supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) not to give in to the brute tactics of the Governor.
“From assurances gotten from INEC and the security agencies, it is illegal for anyone to hand over his or her voter’s card to a third party, particularly within days to an election, as anyone caught doing so stands the risk of being arrested and made to face the law.
“We wish to reassure the people of Anambra state, especially civil servants who have had to grit under Gov. Obiano’s unorthodox policies, that their day of redemption is near, when an APC government led by Senator Uba will restore the glory and pride of the workers.”