Breaking the Jinx: The Journey to Anambra LG Elections

For the first time in 10 years, Anambra State is set to hold local government elections, a move that has been long overdue. The journey to break the jinx began with the Supreme Court’s landmark judgment on June 20, 2024, which reaffirmed the financial autonomy of local governments in the country. The court ordered that all federal accruals to the councils be remitted directly to them, putting paid to the much-abused States/Local Government Joint Account Committee.

Following the judgment, Governor Chukwuma Soludo kick-started the move to conduct elections for the grassroots on August 6, 2024, by inaugurating a six-member Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) board, with Genevieve Osakwe as the chairman of the commission.

However, the journey has not been without its challenges. The three main opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Labour Party (LP), have continued to threaten withdrawal from the exercise, citing "irregularities and lopsidedness" in the process.

The PDP was the first to announce its withdrawal, expressing fear and concern over the ability of the electoral umpire to conduct a free, fair, and unbiased election. The APC and LP soon followed, with the APC chairman, Basil Ejidike, insisting that participating in the election would mean "legalising illegality."

The Labour Party dissociated itself from the list of LP candidates published by ANSIEC, insisting that it did not field any candidate for the local government elections. The party alleged that the names of its candidates purportedly published by the electoral body were those of APGA members.

Reacting to these claims, APGA’s spokesman, Dr Tony Olisa-Mbeki, said that ANSIEC has assured that the process will be free, fair, credible, and transparent. He described the allegations of pre-filled results as "cheap propaganda intended to create a false narrative of electoral malpractice."

On the other hand, ANSIEC Commissioner-in-charge of Information and Publicity, Sir Anthony Chinedu Nnalue, insisted that the commission followed due process in the announcement of the LG poll, adding that opposition parties resorted to cheap blackmail because they were afraid of losing the election.

The conduct of the exercise after a 10-year hiatus should ordinarily bring joy and anticipation for Ndi Anambra. Given that the governorship election will be held in the state in 2025, whichever party controls the LGs would likely have the edge over other parties in the 2025 election.

As the date for the election approaches, it remains to be seen whether the opposition parties will indeed boycott the exercise or find a way to participate. One thing is certain, however – the eyes of Ndi Anambra are on the outcome of this election, and the stakes are high.