The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), says only two political parties, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP), will contest the state’s local government elections scheduled for August 29, 2026.
ANSIEC Commissioner for Information and Publicity, Anthony Chinedu, disclosed this in Awka, the state capital, stating that preparations were underway to ensure a credible election.
He said the commission released the election timetable and guidelines in September 2025, offering all registered political parties the opportunity to participate.
However, only APGA and YPP met the requirements within the stipulated timeframe.
“The timetable and schedule of activities were made public well in advance to allow full participation. However, only APGA and YPP fielded candidates before the deadline for party primaries expired,” he said.
Chinedu noted that those that failed to present candidates were responsible for their non-participation.
“If a party believes it has support, it should engage in the electoral process. Those that did not present candidates have no grounds for complaint,” he added.
He assured residents of the commission’s independence, saying the election would be free, fair and credible, with outcomes reflecting the will of the voters.
“We are committed to conducting a free, fair and credible election. Whoever wins will be declared the winner,” he said.
The commissioner said arrangements for sensitive and non-sensitive materials had commenced, while also raising concerns over voter apathy.
“Voter apathy remains a major challenge. Choosing not to vote amounts to conceding the process to others,” he said, urging eligible voters to participate.
In the previous local government elections held on September 28, 2024, APGA won all the chairmanship and councillorship seats in the state.