From Ifeoma Ejiofor
The Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONet), and other national and international election stakeholders, have demanded immediately update from Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) on its preparedness for the August 29, 2026 Local Government Chairmanship and Councillorship elections.
The coalition expressed concern over what it described as the commission’s prolonged silence, warning that the absence of regular public communication with only weeks to the elections was creating uncertainty, encouraging speculation and eroding public confidence in the electoral process.
In a statement signed by ACSONet Chairman, Prince Chris Azor, the group said civil society organisations, political parties, election observers, the media, development partners and other stakeholders had continued to seek information on ANSIEC’s level of readiness without receiving adequate updates.
The coalition said that, as the constitutionally mandated electoral body for local government elections in Anambra State, ANSIEC has a responsibility to keep the public informed by publishing a comprehensive election timetable and issuing periodic updates on its operational preparations.
It urged the commission to make public key details of the electoral process, including the complete election timetable and major milestones, the list of participating political parties and validly nominated candidates, and the voters’ register for verification, claims and objections.
The group also called for the publication of the final list of polling units, wards and voting points, as well as clear procedures for voter accreditation, voting, vote counting, result collation and declaration.
According to the statement, ANSIEC should also provide information on the recruitment, training and deployment of electoral officials, the distribution of sensitive and non-sensitive election materials, security arrangements and election-day logistics.
The coalition further urged the commission to immediately commence and publicise the accreditation of domestic election observer organisations by announcing the application process, eligibility requirements, code of conduct and timelines for accreditation and deployment.
It noted that early accreditation would enable observer groups to recruit, train and deploy qualified observers across the state’s 21 local government areas and 326 electoral wards before Election Day.
Beyond the electoral commission, ACSONet appealed to the Anambra State Government to ensure ANSIEC is adequately funded and equipped with the human, technological and logistical resources needed to conduct peaceful, transparent, free, fair and credible elections.
The group stressed that the timely release of funds, provision of election materials, secure transportation, reliable communication systems, effective security coordination and sufficient electoral personnel were critical to the success of the exercise.
It maintained that globally accepted democratic standards require electoral management bodies to embrace transparency, timely public communication, stakeholder engagement, operational readiness, independent election observation, equal treatment of contestants and prompt declaration of results.
