Soludo Has No Intention To Influence Nor Manipulate August 29th LGA Election In Anambra -ANSIEC

*Soludo Has NO Intention To Influence Nor Manipulate August 29th LGA Election In Anambra, It Is Purely Party Affairs....ANSIEC*

*Awka: Obiorah Anthony Ugwonwa*

The Commissioner in charge of information and Publicity in Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC), Chief Anthony Chinedu,  has said that the Commission is getting all logistics ready for conduct of the August 29th local government elections in the state.

The Commissioner, who was speaking with journalists yesterday in his office in Awka, confirmed  that so far, they are arranging the non-sensitive materials and at the same time, booking up the sensitive materials for peaceful conduct of the elections, assuring the people that Governor Soludo has no intention to influence nor manipulate the election.

"These materials will take sometime to be accessed, we are assuring Ndi-Anambra that they will be ready on or before the end of this month or at worst by next month ", he said.

He maintained that Anambra elections had been always good,  pledging that they will conduct free, fair  and credible elections for Ndi-Anambra as usual.

"The only problem we have which we always cry out is that the level of voter apathy in Anambra state is growing higher every election period in the state.

"You see, people don't understand what it means to go out and vote. Somebody will just say that he didn't  like what government is doing, for that he wouldn't vote.

"I always tell people that it is wrong, when you refuse to go and vote, you are indirectly given your approval for wrong people to take over the  government, it is as simple as that", the Commissioner cries out.

He  advised eligible  voters in the state to exercise their franchise by voting for whoever they believe will give them what they want, instead of looking for who to blame for one reason or the other.

He however , admonished the people to shun self-protest, saying that it will not produce any good outcome and urged the voters that it is their duty to go out and vote against anybody that was not properly positioned for the election.

When asked that it seems like Anambra state is running one party system as far as the August 29th local government election is concerned by *News Mobilizer Magazine,* he said no, adding that  YPP is equally participating in the election. 

He noted  that the Commission published timetables for the election sometime in September last year with open floor for all political parties in the state to participate, but accidentally, only two political parties fielded candidates, questioning  the whereabouts of others.

"If you believe that you are a  registered  political party and you have the followers ,why can't you venture into the electoral process assuring the people that Governor Charles Chukwuma Soludo had no intention whatsoever to influence nor manipulate the elections as alleged by the general public., pointing out that the  counciillorshisp election is for the respective wards in the state with what he described as mayoral election currently  holding now in the twenty- one  LGAs in the state.

He added that the Governor will not be in any ward except his ward in Isuoffia community on the election day and wondered how  somebody in a ward in  Ayamelum LGA for instance could come up to influence nor manipulate the Councillorship election in another local government area or distort an election conducted in the area. 

"Such assumption is  impossible.The commission released election timetable and schedule of Activities for the 2026 LGA Elections last year September,and Only APGA  and YPP,  participated while others didn't, till the time given for the primaries expired. Who is to be blamed ?. So as it were, only APGA  and YPP have candidates for the August 29th elections.

Chief Chinedu, who  doubled as a Board Member of the Commission, implored Ndi-Anambra not to protest for any wrongdoing inside their house, but should come out on the election day and vote their choice. 

"That is your right, urging the people to exercise their franchise to make this election competitive or  otherwise it wouldn't be," he  added.

"If APGA  had organized its  own well and agreed on consensus candidate, what of other political parties., if you think that somebody is doing what you don't like, do your own the way you like it. Perhaps, if your  own is right,the masses will follow you.

" I assure you, Governor Soludo will not interfere in the conduct of this local government election in the state at all, whole and entire because it is purely party affairs.

He said that the issue remained that many parties  shield  away from fielding candidates because they are not sure of themselves at the grassroots. 

'As far as I am concerned, we are not envisaging any challenge because as I said earlier, the election is going to be free, fair and credible and anybody that wins the  election will be declared as the true winner by the Commission. If it is YPP fine, if it is APGA fine",  the Commissioner concluded.