Candidates of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) have taken commanding leads across council areas in the 2026 Anambra State Local Government elections, securing early declared victories in Awka North and Nnewi North.
The electoral process saw limited opposition participation, with major political parties failing to field candidates, leaving the Young Progressives Party (YPP) as the primary challenger before it staged a midday boycott in Anambra East Local Government Area.
YPP Chairmanship candidate Sunday Nnabuife withdrew from the contest midway through voting, alleging that party agents and supporters were blocked at gunpoint from accessing polling units and monitoring ballot distribution.
Allegations of Voter Intimidation in Anambra East Local Government Area
Charles Ifediora, the YPP spokesman in Anambra East, accused the ruling party of deploying the Agunechemba Security Squad to disperse opposition voters and block accredited agents from polling stations.
Ifediora stated that armed personnel discharged firearms indiscriminately at polling units, leaving one female supporter hospitalized with gunshot injuries before the party decided to pull out of the race.
The Publicity Secretary of the Agunechemba Security Squad, Nweke Nweke, denied the allegations of voter suppression, maintaining that security operatives intervened strictly to contain political thugs attempting to disrupt the exercise.
Nweke stated that the squad operated within its mandate to maintain peace, asserting that personnel acted only to neutralize security threats and protect the integrity of the polling stations.
| Council Area / Stakeholder |
Declared Status / Role |
Candidate / Representative |
Official Assessment / Rationale |
| Awka North LGA |
Declared Winner (Mayor) |
Thank God Anago (APGA) |
Described exercise as peaceful, transparent, and well attended |
| Nnewi North LGA |
Declared Winner (Mayor) |
Echezona Anazodo (APGA) |
Returned elected following collation by ANSIEC |
| Anambra East LGA |
Boycotted Contest |
Sunday Nnabuife (YPP) |
Withdrew citing armed intimidation and agent exclusion |
| Agunechemba Security Squad |
State Security Entity |
Nweke Nweke (Publicity Sec.) |
Denied harassment; claimed intervention quelled thuggery |
| ANSIEC |
State Electoral Commission |
Genevieve Osakwe (Chairman) |
Supervised ongoing collation across remaining local councils |
Certified Results in Awka North and Nnewi North Local Councils
Official returns compiled by the Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) affirmed Thank God Anago and Echezona Anazodo as the duly elected council chairmen for Awka North and Nnewi North, respectively.
Efforts to obtain immediate comment from ANSIEC Chairman Genevieve Osakwe were unsuccessful as commission executives remained engaged in coordinating statewide collation logistics.
Speaking after his declaration, the newly elected Mayor of Awka North, Thank God Anago, characterized the election as transparent, stating that high voter participation demonstrated grassroots confidence in the electoral commission.
Anago dismissed reports of delayed logistical deployments, stating that voting materials arrived on schedule across Awka North and attributing the absence of major opposition parties to APGA’s long-standing political structure in the state.
