Anambra Polls: ANIEC assures credible council polls in August

The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANIEC) has assured residents of a free, fair, and credible local government election scheduled for August 29 in the state.

Commissioner in charge of information, Anthony Chinedu, gave the assurance in Awka, saying preparations for the election covering 21 local government chairmanship seats and 326 councillorship positions were already at an advanced stage.

He said the commission was currently finalising logistics, including the arrangement of non-sensitive materials and procurement of sensitive materials required for the exercise.

According to him, delays in accessing some election materials were being managed, but the commission remained confident that everything would be ready ahead of the poll.

“We are assuring the Anambra electorate that these materials will be ready soon,” he said.

Voter apathy raises concern

Chinedu, however, expressed concern over what he described as rising voter apathy in the state, warning that declining participation could weaken democratic outcomes.

He urged eligible voters to turn out on election day and actively participate in choosing their local government representatives.

“People do not understand what it means to vote. Somebody will say he does not like what the government is doing, and because of that, he will not vote,” he said.

He stressed that abstaining from elections would not bring about change, adding that voting remained the most effective civic responsibility in a democracy.

Political participation questioned

The commissioner also noted that only two political parties had successfully fielded candidates since the publication of the election timetable, raising concerns about broader political engagement.

He questioned the low level of participation from other registered parties, urging them to take the electoral process more seriously.

“If you are a member of a registered political party and you have followers, why will you not join the electoral process?” he asked.

Governor Soludo won’t interfere, commission insists

Amid public speculation about political interference, Chinedu insisted that Governor Charles Soludo had no intention of influencing or manipulating the election.

He said the governor would only participate in the process at his polling unit in Isuoffia community on election day and would not interfere in other areas.

“The governor has no intention whatsoever to influence or manipulate the elections as alleged by the general public,” he said.

ANIEC reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a transparent electoral process, saying all necessary arrangements would be completed before election day.

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