KDI Peace Committee Seeks Partnership with ASTUC Youth Wing for Peaceful 2025 Anambra Governorship Election
By Ify Unachukwu
The Anambra State Peace and Mediation Working Committee has sought partnership with the Youth Wing of the Anambra State Town Union Council (ASTUC) in promoting peace and preventing electoral violence ahead of the November 8, 2025 governorship election in the state.
The team, led by the Secretary of the Committee and State Representative of Kingpact Development Initiative (KDI), Mrs Ugochi Freeman, paid an advocacy visit to the President-General of ASTUC Youth Wing, Comrade Ken Okoli, in Awka, to secure the council’s support for grassroots peace sensitisation and youth engagement across the state.
Mrs Freeman said the committee, made up of credible men and women drawn from different sectors, was established to promote peaceful coexistence, foster dialogue among political actors, and encourage civic responsibility before, during, and after the election. She emphasised that the success of any peace initiative depends largely on youth participation, as young people are often the most active in political mobilisation.
Venerable Emma Nweke, a member of the committee and Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Anambra State Chapter, spoke on the objectives of the committee and appealed for collaboration through ASTUC’s extensive youth network across the 189 communities in the state. He urged the youth leaders to use their influence to dissuade their peers from engaging in electoral violence or being used as political tools by desperate politicians.
“The future of the state belongs to the youths,” he said. “Your voices, energy, and integrity are critical in shaping a peaceful election. By saying no to violence and yes to peace, you become protectors of democracy and ambassadors of progress in your communities.”
Responding, the President-General of ASTUC Youth Wing, Comrade Ken Okoli, lauded the peace committee for its foresight and volunteer spirit in promoting non-violence ahead of the polls. He said the initiative aligns with the youth council’s ongoing efforts to build responsible and civically engaged young citizens across the state.
“We share the same vision of ensuring that Anambra youths are not used as instruments of destruction during elections,” he said. “As much as opposition is part of politics, it must be expressed peacefully and with respect for others’ rights.”
Comrade Okoli pledged the full support of the ASTUC Youth Wing in the committee’s ongoing peace campaign and promised to mobilise youth representatives across communities to take part in sensitisation programmes and dialogues being planned by the group. He also encouraged youths to participate actively in the electoral process, noting that peaceful participation was the foundation for credible leadership and meaningful governance.
The meeting ended with a mutual commitment between both parties to work together in promoting civic education, peacebuilding, and responsible youth engagement ahead of the 2025 Anambra governorship election.
