Sixteen political parties contesting the November 8 Anambra governorship election have signed a peace accord in Awka.
INEC and peace leaders urged candidates to ensure a credible, violence-free poll.
Sixteen political parties and their candidates contesting in the November 8, 2025, Anambra governorship election have signed a peace accord in Awka to promote a peaceful and credible poll.
The Chairman of the National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, represented by General Martin Luther Agwai, said democracy thrives only when human life is valued. He explained that the peace accord symbolizes commitment, discipline, and a shared responsibility among the candidates to ensure a credible process.
In a message, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, described the election as one of his first major tasks since assuming office. He assured that INEC would conduct a free, fair, and transparent election. Amupitan urged candidates and their supporters to abide by the rules and uphold the terms of the accord.
He revealed that INEC would deploy about 24,000 officials across 5,718 polling units in 326 wards within the 21 local government areas of the state. The final voter register, he said, includes 2,802,790 eligible voters, while 16 political parties will participate in the election.
Amupitan also promised improved logistics and collaboration with security agencies to prevent vote buying and arrest offenders.
The Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in the state, Uchenna Ugwuorji, appealed to candidates and supporters to remain lawful before, during, and after the election. He also urged security agencies to be professional and not to intimidate any political group, advising that any grievances should be addressed through the courts.
Convener of the Peace Committee, Bishop Hassan Matthew Kukah, urged candidates to honor the agreement and work toward a violence-free election.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo thanked the committee for promoting peace and advised fellow candidates to treat the accord as a sacred commitment. He also called on INEC to ensure that the people’s will is respected on election day.
