The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) candidates are currently coasting to victory in the ongoing 2026 Local Government election in Anambra State.
Saturday Telegraph recalls that none of the major political parties fielded candidates for the election, except for the Young Democratic Party (YPP), which fielded a Chairmanship candidate in Anambra East Local Government Area.
However, the YPP candidate, Mr Sunday Nnabuife, midway into the election, boycotted the election on grounds that his agents and party members were barred at gunpoint from entering the policing units or monitoring the process.
The YPP spokesman in Anambra East local government area, Mr Charles Ifediora, accused the ruling APGA of using the Agunechemba Security Squad to harass and intimidate members and agents of the party.
“When our agents came here, the Agunechemba people started shooting indiscriminately and attacking voters, and none of our agents was allowed to gain entrance into the polling units”
“The bullet even hit one of our female supporters who has been taken to the hospital for treatment, and because of these incidents, we as a party and our candidate have decided to boycott that election because it is not transparent at all”, he said.
Reacting to these allegations, the Publicity Secretary of Agunechemba Security Squad, Mr Nweke Nweke, dismissed those claims, contending that those actions were carried out by political thugs and that the Agunechemba came in to quell the crisis.
“No, that is not true because the role we are playing in this election is to ensure peace and a transparent electoral process, and in the case of Anambra East local government area, the suspected thugs tried to attempt something but our men were on ground to control the situation “, he said.
So far, results from Nnewi North and Awka North local government areas have been declared, affirming the duo of Mr Thank God Anago and Echezona Anazodo as duly elected and returned, while other results are being awaited.
Efforts to speak with the Chairman of the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission ( ANSIEC), Mrs Genevieve Osakwe, were not possible as she was said to be busy with the electoral process.
Mr Thank God Anago, newly elected Mayor of Awka North Local Government Area, described the process as free, fair and transparent, adding that the huge turnout is a manifestation of the people’s confidence in the process.
“We are happy with the impressive turnout of voters for the local government election, and that is a clear demonstration of the People’s confidence in the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC)”
“It also goes to show the belief of the people in the importance of the local government system, which is the closest to the grassroot”
Reacting to some complaints about the late arrival of electoral materials, Anago contended that ;
“I am not aware that there are some places where people complained of late arrival of electoral materials because in Awka North local government area the election was peaceful and transparent and we did not record any violence and the ANSIEC officials arrived in good time for the election”.
Anago further explained why other political parties did not contest because they know that Anambra is APGA and APGA is Anambra, wondering the need for them to contest against what he called the obvious.
