SaMBA Rejects Malami’s call to declare state of Emergency in Anambra

The Southern and Middle-Belt Alliance (SaMBA) has rejected suggestions by the Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, that the Federal Government may declare a state of Emergency in Anambra state to ensure that the November 6 governorship election holds.

SaMBA in a statement issued Wednesday evening wondered why Malami would threaten to declare a state of emergency in Anambra while ignoring the northern states of Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states where a “festival of killings” are going on.

The Group in a statement signed by its spokesman, Prince Rwang Pam Jnr. said that Malami should not forget that despite the “killings festival” in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states, elections were conducted in those states without a declaration of a state of emergency.

SaMBA said: “Our attention has been drawn to a statement credited to the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami that a state of emergency may be declared in Anambra for the conduct of the November 6, 2021 governorship election in the state.

“It is surprising that the Attorney General of the Federation will make such declaration seeing that such statement may lend credence to suspicions that the crisis in Anambra state is being orchestrated by some powerful political clique that enjoys the support of the ruling party to enable them rig the forthcoming governorship election in the state.

“Elections were conducted in Katsina, Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and Niger states despite the “killings festival” that is going on in those states and the AGF did not talk about declaring a state of emergency in those areas.

“We note that security forces have moved into the South East region to secure lives and property and therefore call on Malami to bury the thought of declaring a state of emergency in Anambra state for the conduct of November 6 governorship election.”