After 10 years, Anambra finally fixes date for local election

The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has announced that local government elections in Anambra State will be held on 28 September.

This was disclosed in a circular signed by the Chairperson of the ANSIEC, Genevieve Osakwe, on Monday.

“The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission wishes to inform all registered political parties and the general public that local government elections in the state will be held on Saturday, 28th September 2024,” she said in the circular.

The announcement was coming days after the Governor of State, Charles Soludo, inaugurated the ANSIEC to conduct the poll.

The inauguration of the electoral body was apparently in response to a recent Supreme Court ruling which affirmed the financial autonomy of Nigeria’s 774 local governments.

The apex court held that the local governments across the country should, henceforth, receive their allocations directly from the Accountant-General of the Federation.

The ruling empowers the federal government to withhold allocations of local governments being administered by a caretaker committee.

After 10 years

PREMIUM TIMES reports that the scheduled election in Anambra State would be the first in the last 10 years in the state.

The last local government election in Anambra State was held in January 2014 under the administration of former Governor Peter Obi.

Mr Obi served between 2006 and 2014 under the platform of All Progressives Grand Alliance.

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Since the last election, all the 21 local government areas have been administered by caretaker committee usually appointed by successive governors.

Details of scheduled election

Mrs Osakwe, a chief magistrate, said in the circular that the election timetable, schedule of activities, and other details will be made available at the commission’s headquarters in Awka from Wednesday.