The Labour Party candidate for Bende Federal Constituency in the 2027 general elections, Chima Anyaso, has urged youths in the constituency and across Nigeria to reject electoral violence and resist attempts to manipulate the electoral process.

Anyaso also entered into a social contract with the people of Bende, calling on voters not to succumb to intimidation, vote buying or other forms of electoral malpractice capable of undermining their right to freely elect their representatives.

The candidate made the call on Wednesday in Uzuakoli, Bende Local Government Area of Abia State, during the signing of the pact with residents and stakeholders and the presentation of his manifesto ahead of the 2027 elections.

Addressing stakeholders from the 13 wards of the constituency, including traditional rulers, youths, pressure groups and civil society organisations, Anyaso warned young people against allowing themselves to be used to perpetrate violence during elections.

He said, “No election is worth your life. No politician’s ambition is worth destroying your future.”

Presenting his development pact, Anyaso described it as a covenant developed through what he called hard work and diligence, with the interests and challenges of communities across Bende Federal Constituency taken into consideration.

The Igbere-born entrepreneur also criticised what he described as inadequate representation and poor infrastructure in the constituency despite the resources accruing to it.

He pledged to prioritise infrastructure and human capital development if elected, including the provision of quality roads, hospitals and schools, as well as improved funding for skills acquisition programmes and other economic opportunities for youths and women.

“I would attract quality roads, hospitals, schools, and adequately fund skills acquisition and other opportunities for youths and women,” he said.

Anyaso further urged residents to carefully examine the records, credentials and previous activities of candidates contesting elective positions in 2027.

According to him, democracy would have greater impact when voters elect people with credible records and demand transparency, accountability and measurable results from their representatives.

He urged the electorate to reject what he described as empty promises and hold elected officials accountable for their commitments to the people.

Anyaso promises maximum two terms
The Labour Party candidate also pledged to serve a maximum of two terms if elected, citing the political understanding between the Umunna and Ikwu Isii blocs that make up the constituency.

Anyaso said he would respect the arrangement and support an Ikwu Isii candidate after completing his tenure.

“I will respect the arrangement and would not seek a third term in office; I pledge to support an Ikwu Isii candidate at the appropriate time since I am from Umunna section,” he said.

He added that political leaders should create opportunities for younger generations rather than remain in office indefinitely.

The candidate also urged his supporters not to be intimidated because of their political affiliation ahead of the election.

“Do not be afraid. Do not allow anybody to intimidate you because you have chosen to support me. Do not allow anybody to tell you that this election has already been decided.

We are winning this one. The power belongs to you,” he said.

Anyaso commended Abia State Governor Alex Otti, Labour Party leaders and residents of Bende for their support, while reiterating his appeal to youths not to allow themselves to be recruited for violent activities during the election.

Stakeholders endorse campaign pact
Speaking at the event, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Environment, Prof.

Ijeoma Iheukwumere; State Labour Party Chairman, Chief Peter Azubuike; Abia North Coordinator of the State Campaign Council, Chief Emeka Charles-Kalu; Mayor of Bende LGA, Deacon Uwabunkeonye Bassey; and Director of the Chimaobi Anyaso Campaign Council, Pastor Okey Dike, among others, commended the candidate for initiating the pact.

The stakeholders described Anyaso as a reliable and tested leader and expressed their support for his political ambition.

The 2027 general elections are expected to feature contests for federal and state elective positions across Nigeria, with political parties and their candidates already beginning to mobilise supporters and present their policy agendas to voters.

The Presidential Campaign Council of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) hasOgun ADC Urges Members to Embrace Dialogue, Avoid Litigation Ahead of 2027 warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against allowing partisan interests to influence the conduct of the 2027 general elections.

The council also called for greater accessibility and transparency in the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), arguing that voter registration figures would have little significance if eligible Nigerians were unable to obtain their cards before election day.

The ADC-PCC made the demands in a statement issued on Wednesday by its Director of Media and Publicity, Kola Ologbondiyan, in reaction to INEC’s recent briefing on its preparations for the 2027 elections. The development comes as INEC prepares to commence nationwide collection of newly produced PVCs on October 9, 2026.

Ologbondiyan said the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend largely on the ability of the electoral commission to remain independent, transparent and neutral throughout the electoral cycle.

He maintained that INEC should ensure that every eligible Nigerian who completes the voter registration process has a practical opportunity to collect their PVC ahead of the polls.

According to him, the number of registered voters should not be the only measure of the success of the voter registration exercise, stressing that citizens must also be able to obtain the cards required for voting.

“This country belongs to all of us. INEC’s loyalty must be to the Constitution, not to the APC,” Ologbondiyan said.

He added that the ADC wanted an electoral process in which votes would be properly counted and voters would be able to exercise their constitutional rights without administrative barriers.

ADC demands ward-level PVC collection
The campaign council urged INEC to decentralise PVC collection to the ward level to reduce the difficulties voters may face in travelling to collection centres.

It also called for extended collection hours and the deployment of technology to notify voters when their cards are ready for collection.

The council alleged that bureaucratic delays and bottlenecks at collection centres could discourage or disenfranchise eligible voters, particularly in areas where opposition parties have significant support.

The ADC-PCC therefore urged the commission to ensure that administrative procedures did not result in unequal access to voter cards.

Its position comes as INEC prepares to begin nationwide collection of PVCs on October 9.

The commission has said newly issued cards will be distributed to Local Government Area collection centres, while it has also introduced printable PVC technology aimed at reducing delays associated with obtaining voter cards.

‘INEC must remain neutral’
Ologbondiyan further urged INEC officials to operate as impartial electoral administrators rather than representatives of any political party.

“We urge INEC to be independent and not take orders from the APC. INEC must remain an unbiased umpire and not operate as an extension of the ruling party,” he said.

The allegation is the latest in a series of concerns being raised by political actors about the neutrality of electoral officials ahead of the 2027 elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has separately warned the commission’s field personnel that neutrality and professionalism would be critical to public confidence in the electoral process. He has also directed officials to close operational gaps ahead of the elections.

The ADC-PCC said its concerns went beyond PVC collection, insisting that neutrality should be maintained from voter registration through voting, collation and declaration of results.

The council said the ADC presidential candidate remained prepared to participate in the 2027 election provided the process was free, fair, credible and devoid of violence or manipulation.

It also pledged to monitor compliance with the Constitution and Electoral Act throughout the electoral cycle.

“The ADC won’t allow anything short of compliance with our electoral laws. We demand full transparency, neutrality and strict adherence to due process from registration to declaration of results,” the statement said.

ADC raises concerns over equal access
The campaign council further warned that public confidence in the electoral process could be undermined if voters experienced unequal access to PVCs.

Ologbondiyan alleged that any situation in which PVCs were readily accessible in areas considered to be strongholds of the ruling party but difficult to obtain in opposition areas would raise serious concerns about the integrity of the electoral process.

“When INEC begins to

o take dictation from the ruling party, when VCs are made available in APC strongholds and hidden in opposition areas, then democracy is under threat,” he said.

The allegation was presented by the ADC as a warning to the commission rather than as an established finding about INEC’s current operations.

INEC’s current voter register stands at more than 103 million following the completion of its three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which produced 10,772,421 new registrations. The commission has also completed its final Automated Biometric Identification System cleanup of the register.

Nigerians urged to collect PVCs
The ADC-PCC urged Nigerians, particularly first-time voters, not to become discouraged by administrative difficulties during the electoral process.

It encouraged registered voters to complete the process and collect their PVCs once they become available.

Ologbondiyan said Nigerians had experienced significant economic difficulties and would view the 2027 election as an opportunity to determine the country’s direction through the ballot.

“Let it be clear to INEC that the 2027 general election is not business as usual. Nigerians have endured hardship, hunger and misgovernance under the APC. They see 2027 as an opportunity for a rescue mission,” he said.

He warned that any attempt to manipulate the electoral process in favour of a political party would be resisted through what he described as lawful and democratic means.

The ADC-PCC said it would continue monitoring INEC’s preparations and urged the commission’s chairman to take immediate steps to make PVC collection more accessible by bringing collection points closer to voters.

The council also said Nigerians and members of the international democratic community would be watching the electoral process closely.

INEC, meanwhile, has said it is working to improve operational efficiency, strengthen neutrality and address logistical and technological challenges ahead of the 2027 polls.

A coalition of All Progressives Congress aspirants for the House of Representatives in Oyo State has called on the party’s national leadership to review the process through which its candidates for the 2027 general elections were selected.

The aspirants, operating under the aegis of the Coalition of Concerned APC House of Representatives Aspirants in Oyo State, alleged that the process failed to provide the transparent and competitive primaries they expected, claiming that candidates were instead selected through what they described as a “unity list.”

The coalition made its position known in a communiqué titled, “On the Conduct of the Party Candidate Selection Process and the Imperative of Genuine Reconciliation Ahead of the 2027 General Elections,” made available to PUNCH Online on Monday.

The group said it remained committed to the APC and President Bola Tinubu but urged the party to urgently address grievances arising from the candidate-selection process to prevent divisions ahead of the 2027 elections.

According to the aspirants, they participated in the process with the expectation that credible, transparent and competitive primaries would be conducted in accordance with the APC constitution and relevant party guidelines.

They, however, alleged that the process did not allow aspirants and party members to fully exercise their democratic rights, as names were allegedly selected and presented through a “unity list.”

The coalition acknowledged the role of party leaders in promoting consensus and internal cohesion but argued that genuine unity could not be achieved through exclusion.

It maintained that where consensus was considered necessary, it should be based on consultation, mutual consent and fairness, rather than being imposed without adequate engagement with aspirants who had invested significant resources and built political structures across their constituencies.

The group consequently called on the APC national leadership to review the candidate-selection process, listen to the grievances of affected aspirants and establish a mechanism for reconciliation.

The development followed the unveiling of the Oyo APC’s 14 House of Representatives candidates for the 2027 elections in September.

Among those named on the list are Akeem Adeyemi for Afijio/Atiba/Oyo East/Oyo West Federal Constituency; Wasiu Akinmoyede for Akinyele/Lagelu; Tajudeen Kareem for Atisbo/Saki East/Saki West; and Akinola Alabi for Egbeda/Ona-Ara, among others.

The aggrieved aspirants said they had made significant contributions to the growth of the APC at the grassroots through various empowerment programmes, educational support, healthcare interventions, youth and women development initiatives, agricultural assistance and community projects.

They also said they had committed personal resources to membership mobilisation, ward organisation and voter engagement while establishing relationships with community, religious, professional, youth and women groups.

The coalition urged the party leadership to recognise these contributions and grassroots structures and integrate the affected aspirants into the APC’s campaign strategy for the 2027 elections.

It also requested the establishment of a high-level reconciliation committee made up of respected national and state party leaders who would be acceptable to all parties involved.

The aspirants further urged the APC to ensure that whenever consensus was adopted as a method of selecting candidates, it was achieved through transparent engagement and the voluntary agreement of the aspirants concerned.

Despite expressing dissatisfaction with the process, the coalition said it had no intention of abandoning the APC.

“We remain within the APC and are prepared to work for its victory,” the group stated.

The aspirants insisted that lasting unity within the party must be founded on justice, consultation, mutual respect and reconciliation.

They also appealed to their supporters across Oyo State to remain calm, peaceful and law-abiding while the matter is addressed through the appropriate party channels.

The communiqué was signed by nine members of the coalition: Tunde Bello, Sanusi Ridwan, Ibrahim Lasisi, Saheed Oladele, Bakare Nurudeen, Ganiyat Olawore, Idowu Adesokan, Ishaq Morufat Ajibola and Nureni Adesina Abd Salam.