Elochukwu Benjamin
Awka
The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has announced that the state will become the first in Nigeria to implement the “Yes or No” ballot system for unopposed candidates in a local government election, describing it as a landmark electoral innovation provided for by law.
The Commissioner in charge of Information at ANSIEC, Chief Tony Chinedu, disclosed this on Wednesday during a press conference at the commission’s headquarters in Awka, as preparations intensified for Saturday’s local government election across the state’s 21 Local Government Areas and 327 electoral wards.
He said the commission had completed critical pre-election activities, including recruitment and training of ad-hoc personnel, while the distribution of non-sensitive election materials had commenced ahead of the poll.
Chief Chinedu revealed that only two political parties, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) and the Young Progressives Party (YPP), submitted candidates in accordance with the commission’s electoral timetable.
According to him, a total of 22 mayoral candidates and 346 councillorship candidates will contest the elections.
“Following our electoral timetable, political parties were directed to conduct their primaries and submit candidates. Only APGA and YPP complied by indicating interest and fielding candidates,” he said.
The ANSIEC spokesman devoted considerable attention to explaining what he described as the election’s most distinctive feature, which is the use of “Yes or No” ballots for candidates who emerged unopposed during party primaries.
He clarified that contrary to popular belief, emerging as an unopposed candidate in a party primary does not amount to automatic election victory.
“The public notion is that when someone emerges unopposed during a party primary, it translates into automatic victory. That is not what the law says.
“The law says that where only one candidate qualifies for an election, the ballot paper will no longer display multiple political parties but instead ask voters to either approve or reject the sole candidate through a “Yes” or “No” vote.
“The party has the responsibility of producing its candidate through its primary, but the electorate has the constitutional right to decide whether that candidate is acceptable. That is why the law provides for a ‘Yes or No’ ballot,” Chinedu explained.
He further outlined the legal threshold required for victory.
According to him, the candidate must secure more “Yes” votes than “No” votes and also obtain at least a two-thirds majority in at least two-thirds of the affected electoral area before being declared elected.
“However, where the “No” votes prevail, the election will be declared inconclusive, compelling the affected political party to conduct another primary to produce a fresh candidate.
“What it means is that the people have rejected the person nominated by the political party, and another primary will have to be conducted,” he said.
Chinedu described the exercise as a historic milestone, noting that Anambra would be the first state in Nigeria to practically implement the provision.
The commissioner said the commission had already concluded recruitment and screening of ad-hoc personnel after publicly advertising the positions.
He explained that successful applicants underwent screening before being selected for election duties.
Training of the ad-hoc staff, he said, began on August 18 across the state’s senatorial zones.
He added that the commission was currently conducting specialised training for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) and collation officers because of the unique procedures involved in administering the “Yes or No” ballot.
“We want them to understand the peculiarities of this election so that every vote is properly handled in accordance with the law,” he said.
Chief Chinedu announced that distribution of non-sensitive election materials commenced on Wednesday, while sensitive materials would be distributed on election day under tighter security arrangements.
He assured residents that logistics had been carefully planned to ensure smooth deployment across the 21 local government areas.
Responding to questions about a court action reportedly filed by some councillors seeking to halt the election, Chinedu confirmed that ANSIEC had been joined in the suit.
However, he maintained that the litigation would not prevent Saturday’s exercise from proceeding.
The ANSIEC official also dismissed suggestions that conducting an election involving only two political parties amounted to a waste of public funds.
According to him, elections are constitutional obligations that must be conducted irrespective of the number of contestants.
“Election is a matter of law. Whether there is one candidate or many candidates, the election must be conducted,” he said.
Addressing concerns over perceived voter apathy, Chinedu rejected claims that Anambra residents had lost confidence in ANSIEC’s ability to conduct credible elections.
Instead, he argued that political participation in the state has generally been low and should not be interpreted as an organised boycott.
He urged eligible voters to seize the opportunity to determine who governs at the grassroots.
“The power to enthrone leadership resides with the people. Power is not given; it is taken,” he declared.
He cited the All Progressives Congress’ emergence at the national level after defeating the then-ruling Peoples Democratic Party, as well as APGA’s successful takeover of political power in Anambra from the PDP in 2006.
He called on voters across the state’s 327 wards to turn out peacefully on Saturday and participate actively in shaping the future of their local councils.
