About 36 days to the Anambra State governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission on Wednesday expressed fears over the worsening security challenges and looming constitutional crisis in the state.

The commission expressed the fears over the worsening insecurity in the South-East geopolitical zone, especially with the killing of Dr Chike Akunyili, widower of a former Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, Prof. Dora Akunyili.

The chairman  of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, represented by the National Commissioner and Chairman (Information and Voter Education Committee), Festus Okoye, expressed the concerns at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja organised by the INEC Press Corps with the theme: “Inclusive election in Anambra and beyond.”

Yakubu said that a constitutional crisis may likely ensue in the state if the commission was unable to conduct the election on account of security challenges.

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The INEC chairman explained that Section 178 of the constitution circumscribed the period for the conduct of governorship elections, adding that the period was cast in stone and immovable.

According to him, the tenure of the incumbent governor of Anambra State, Willy Obiano, will expire on March 17, 2022.

He said, “By virtue of the provisions of Section 1978(2) of the constitution and Section 25(8) of the Electoral Act, election into the office of a state governor shall hold not earlier than 150 and not later than 30 days before the expiration of the term of office of the last holder of the office.

 “The commission needs a safe and secure environment for efficient and professional deployment of staff and materials.

“We must realise that young men and women doing their National Youth Service Corps form the bulk of our presiding officers. Some of them are the only sons and daughters of their parents. Some of them graduated from school through determined perseverance in the face of hardship.”

Yakubu, therefore, appealed to all critical stakeholders to rally round the commission to do all that is constitutionally and legally possible to avoid the looming constitutional crisis.