The All Progressives Congress (APC) in Anambra State has officially announced its withdrawal from the forthcoming local government elections set for September 28, 2024, citing concerns over irregularities in the electoral process.
This resolution emerged after party stakeholders, including Donatus Emecheta, proposed a boycott during a meeting at the party’s office in Awka, the capital of Anambra State, on Saturday. The motion received support from Akunwata Obadike.
Basil Ejidike, the State Chairman of the APC, expressed his agreement with the stakeholders’ decision and indicated that the party plans to pursue legal action to contest the election proceedings.
He highlighted that the party has identified breaches of proper protocol in the upcoming elections, which they believe could jeopardize the integrity of the electoral process. Ejidike remarked that participating in the local government elections would essentially “legitimize illegality.”
He asserted that the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission’s (ANSIEC) constitution and the announcement of the election date failed to adhere to the procedures outlined in the Electoral Act of 2022.
Ejidike added that, under his leadership, the APC would refrain from participating in the elections, as both ANSIEC and the state governor, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, seem ill-prepared to conduct the elections in a manner that is free, fair, and credible.
He questioned how a prominent party like the APC could engage in an election where there isn’t sufficient time for political parties to hold primaries, and where campaign rallies and candidate form sales are not conducted in accordance with the Electoral Act.
Ejidike encouraged party members to stay focused, announcing that the APC will soon embark on a tour of all 21 local government areas in preparation for the 2025 gubernatorial elections in the state.
For more than a decade, local government elections have been absent in the state, with the 21 local government areas being managed by caretaker transition committee chairpersons appointed by successive governors every three months to oversee grassroots administration.
