The Anambra State Government has debunked a viral report that the residents of the state are leaving in large number prior to today’s governorship election as false.
The Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment in the state, C. Don Adinuba, said that instead, a large number of people, especially qualified voters, poured into the state to participate in the election.
Adinuba spoke in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria early on Saturday in Awka, the state capital.
The statement read that the attention of the Anambra government was drawn to a sensational news item insinuating that many people were leaving Anambra State on account of political violence.
It refuted the report, saying that Anambra people did not express fears of possible political violence before and during the poll.
It read, “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 statement added that those who work in Anambra usually registered in their home communities. With the declaration of Thursday and Friday as work-free day, it stated that many people travelled to their various places to vote.
It quoted Adinuba further as saying that many people had, in the last 24 hours, been leaving cities and towns for their communities to vote.
The statement added, “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 open-door policy of this administration towards the media.
“It is worthy of note that despite the politically-motivated violence of the last one month, Anambra remains Nigeria’s safest state.
“I urged all Anambra people to disregard ill-planned reports and come out early to cast their votes for their preferred candidate.”
(NAN).
