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Anambra State residents eligible to vote will, after 11 years, finally cast their ballots today to choose their local government executives.
Local government elections were last conducted in Anambra in 2013, as Governor Peter Obi’s administration drew to a close. Successive administrations, most notably that of Willie Obiano, have since governed local councils through caretaker arrangements.
Governor Charles Soludo followed in his predecessors’ footsteps by managing local governments through appointed caretakers after taking office in 2022, a method now prohibited by a Supreme Court decision.
The governor confirmed that eight political parties would be contesting in the election, but Tony Nnalue, ANSIEC’s Commissioner for Information and Logistics, revealed that he could not confirm the precise number of participating parties.
While Soludo listed parties like the Action Alliance (AA), Labour Party (LP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Social Democratic Party (SDP), he clarified that candidates are not running in all local government areas for each party.
The announcement of September 28 as the date for the election had, however, sparked controversy among opposition parties, who argued that the timeline was too short to allow for adequate preparation, including primaries, sales of forms and campaigns. The ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the state, however, dismissed these concerns, insisting that the preparation period was sufficient.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) and Labour Party (LP) expressed dissatisfaction with the election process, threatening to seek legal action.
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Chief Basil Ejidike, APC’s state chairman, said his party would not participate in what he described as a “planned sham election,” citing poor planning and lack of transparency. He criticised recent amendments to state electoral laws, accusing ANSIEC, the state electoral body of favouring the APGA and failing to involve other political parties in the process.
APC’s state legal adviser, Chukwunonso Chiwuba, argued that the amended electoral laws passed in August 2024 were invalid since the election process had already commenced.
The Labour Party reiterated its determination to contest the election’s legitimacy in court, cautioning its members against participating in any unauthorized sale of nomination forms.
The other political parties belonging to the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) expressed a willingness to engage in the election, as long as ANSIEC prolongs the timeline and fosters a level playing field.
While meeting in Awka, the IPAC advocated for an extension to better prepare and highlighted the importance of updating voter registration to reflect the inclusion of newly eligible citizens.On the other hand, the APGA is brimming with confidence about clinching the upcoming election.
Speaking at a campaign rally, Governor Soludo confidently stated that the party intends to sweep all 21 local government chairmanships and 326 councillor positions. He dismissed the rival parties as disorganized, noting that the APGA has already secured four local government chairmanships without opposition.
The Labour Party, in a similar vein, declined to engage in the election. Through a statement from publicity secretary Theo Egbe, the party characterized the local government election as “ill-conceived and contrived,” arguing that it operates under “unlawful and offensive” electoral statutes.
