AWKA, ANAMBRA STATE — Voters across the 21 local government areas of Anambra State are participating in the local council elections to elect chairmen and ward councillors.
Organized by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), simultaneous accreditation and voting commenced across 326 wards and over 5,200 polling units state-wide.
Key Operational Highlights of the Election
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Contested Seats & Parties: A total of 22 candidates are contesting for chairmanship positions, alongside 346 candidates seeking 326 councillorship seats. The exercise features candidates from participating political platforms, primarily the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Young Progressive Party (YPP).
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Novel “Yes/No” Ballot Rule: ANSIEC introduced a referendum-style voting mechanism for unopposed chairmanship candidates. Sole candidates will not win automatically; they must secure a majority of “Yes” over “No” votes and meet the required two-thirds vote threshold across local government areas to be declared elected.
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Tenure Framework: Incoming local government chairmen and councillors will serve a two-year tenure under the amended Anambra State Electoral Law.
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Security & Material Deployment: Security agencies have deployed personnel across all senatorial zones to protect polling centers, while sensitive and non-sensitive materials were dispatched early by election officials to ensure smooth polling operations.
