The Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) has cautioned political parties and candidates participating in Saturday’s Anambra governorship election to avoid acts of violence and vote buying, urging all stakeholders to uphold the integrity of the democratic process.
Speaking during a stakeholders’ engagement held on Thursday at the Hilton Leisure Hotel, Awka, IPAC’s National Chairman, Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, said the council was in the state to deepen voter awareness and monitor pre-election activities.
Dantalle, who was represented by the council’s National Woman Leader, Chinyere Kalu, stressed that the will of the electorate must remain supreme and sacrosanct, urging voters to reject any form of inducement or intimidation that could undermine the credibility of the election.
“We should avoid name-calling that breeds violence. Parents must caution their children and wards, especially the youths who are often used by politicians to cause chaos during elections. Let’s make the Anambra election a beacon of peace,” he said.
The IPAC chairman also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as “satisfactory preparations” for a peaceful and credible poll. He further called on security agencies to maintain professionalism and neutrality, noting that elections “should not be treated as warfare but as a democratic contest of ideas.”
Notably, most major party candidates and state chairmen were absent from the engagement. However, the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) governorship candidate and IPAC Chairman in Anambra, Ugwoji Martin, was present, alongside Chioma Ifemeludike, the only female candidate in the race, representing the Action Alliance Congress (AAC).
