The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has released the official timetable and guidelines for the state’s 2026 local government elections, pledging to deliver a free, fair, and credible poll across all 21 local government areas.
According to the commission, political party primaries will begin on 18 December 2025 and end on 16 February 2026, while voting for chairmanship and councillorship positions is scheduled for 29 August 2026.
Speaking in Awka during a meeting with leaders of registered political parties under the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), ANSIEC Chairperson Genevieve Osakwe said the commission would closely monitor all primaries to ensure full compliance with the Electoral Act 2022 and the Anambra State Electoral Law 2024.
She noted that the formal notice of election was published on 3 September 2025, as required by law.
Osakwe warned that any primary conducted without notifying the commission or outside its supervision would be invalid. She urged political parties to nominate credible candidates and conduct campaigns focused on issues rather than personality attacks.
“This Commission is working tirelessly to ensure that the dream of conducting a free and fair election in 2026 is attained,” she said. “Local government elections are a vital component of Nigeria’s democratic process because they guarantee representation and participation at the grassroots.”
She announced that ANSIEC will embark on a familiarisation tour of all 21 LGAs to assess facilities, logistics, and electoral infrastructure and to mobilise voters ahead of the polls.
Osakwe reiterated that ANSIEC officials must observe every party’s primary and that parties must provide at least one week’s notice for each exercise. She also reminded political parties that civil servants seeking elective positions must resign no later than 30 days before the election.
In line with the state electoral law, all aspirants are required to pay non-refundable administrative fees to the commission before their nominations can be validated.
She added that campaigns must avoid hate speech and cannot be held in churches, mosques, barracks, police stations, shrines, or any concealed locations. All campaign activities must cease 48 hours before election day.
According to the timetable, parties will collect and submit nomination forms in February 2026, while candidate screening is scheduled for late February and early March. The final list of qualified candidates will be released on 1 April 2026, marking the official start of campaigns.
IPAC Chairman and state leader of the Zenith Labour Party, Uche Ugwoji, welcomed the timetable and commended ANSIEC for its early engagement with political stakeholders.
He said political parties were prepared to participate fully in the election and would study the guidelines before presenting collective feedback at a later meeting.
Ugwoji called for ongoing dialogue between the electoral body and political actors to ensure a transparent and credible local government poll.