AnSIEC says preparations are in top gear for the August 29 Anambra council elections, with APGA and YPP set to contest chairmanship and councillorship seats.
The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (AnSIEC) says it is fully prepared for the August 29, 2026, local government elections, with logistics and electoral officials already being mobilised across the state.
The commission’s Commissioner in charge of Information and Publicity, Chief Chinedu Nnalue, disclosed this in an interview with journalists in Awka on Thursday.
Nnalue said training for ad hoc electoral officials had been conducted across the three senatorial districts, while the final list of candidates would be published soon.
AnSIEC had earlier fixed Saturday, August 29, 2026, for elections into the offices of local government chairmen and ward councillors across Anambra’s 21 local government areas.
Nnalue said the commission had concluded training in Anambra North and Anambra South, while the exercise for Anambra Central was being concluded in Awka.
He said logistics had also been put in motion to ensure the elections were conducted in a free, fair and credible manner.
“Preparation is top gear, AnSIEC is almost ready and waiting for the election day to come because logistics have been put in motion to ensure a free, fair and credible poll,” he said.
The commissioner urged eligible voters across the state to come out and exercise their franchise, assuring them that the commission would provide the necessary arrangements for a credible exercise.
According to Nnalue, only two political parties — the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP) — will participate in the August 29 council elections.
APGA will field candidates across all 21 local government areas and 326 wards, while YPP will contest in one local government area and 20 ward positions.
Earlier reports from AnSIEC also confirmed that APGA and YPP were the only parties that had indicated their participation in the election after the commission’s timetable allowed all registered political parties an opportunity to take part.
Nnalue said 341 councillorship candidates and 22 local government chairmanship candidates had been cleared for the election.
“Two political parties, APGA and YPP are participating in this election with 341 Councillorship and 22 Local Government chairman candidates all cleared for the election,” he said.
The commissioner disclosed that movement could be restricted across parts of the state on election day as part of measures to maintain security and ensure a smooth voting process.
He added that security agencies had assured the commission of their readiness to maintain law and order before, during and after the poll.
The August 29 election has been on AnSIEC’s official timetable since September 2025, when the commission issued its notice of election in accordance with the Electoral Act 2022 and relevant Anambra State electoral legislation.
The preparations are taking place against the backdrop of a legal challenge by 56 serving councillors over the two-year tenure of elected local government officials in Anambra.
The councillors have challenged the legality of the tenure provision and are seeking court intervention over the planned replacement of the existing councils.
However, AnSIEC has maintained that the filing of the suit does not automatically suspend the electoral process and has continued preparations for the August 29 poll. Recent reports indicate that the commission had not received any directive requiring it to halt the election process.
For now, August 29 remains Anambra’s scheduled council election date, with AnSIEC insisting that its preparations are proceeding as planned.
The commission has urged voters, political parties and other stakeholders to cooperate with electoral officials and security agencies to ensure a peaceful and credible local government election.
Visit GMTNewsng for more news stories.
