As part of ongoing advocacy visits to promote peaceful and credible elections in Anambra State, the KDI Peace and Mediation Committee has taken its peace campaign to the Office of the Woman Leader of the Anambra State Town Union Council (ASTUC), Mrs Joy Otti, in Awka.
The visit was part of the group’s broader engagement aimed at mobilising critical stakeholders to play a part in achieving non-violent electoral conduct ahead of the November 8, 2025 gubernatorial election.
This it targeted to achieve by building trust, preventing violence, and promoting dialogue among political actors, security agencies, civil society groups, and community leaders.
Leading the delegation, Mrs Ugochi Freeman, the Representative of the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) and Team Lead of the committee, said their mandate is to ensure that anything capable of causing bloodshed or violence during the governorship election is stopped through dialogue, early engagement, and mediation.
According to her, the visit was to seek the Anambra women’s leadership’s partnership in advising women, community leaders, and youths in the state, to embrace peace and to remember that no political ambition is worth the life of any citizen.
She emphasized that peacebuilding requires the active participation of everyone, especially women, who play influential roles in family and community decision-making.
In his remarks, Professor Jaja Nwanegbo, a member of the team and Director of the Institute for Peace and Security Studies, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, said the committee was on a mission to carry the message of peace to all corners of Anambra, political candidates, party supporters, government and non-state actors alike.
“We came with a message of peace to every stakeholder, politicians, community leaders, and civil groups,” Prof. Nwanegbo stated. “Madam Otti, as the Woman Leader of ASTUC, you oversee the affairs of women across the 189 communities in Anambra State. We appeal to you to use your influence to encourage mothers to talk to their sons and daughters, especially the youths, against violence, thuggery, and any act that could disrupt the forthcoming election.”
Also speaking, Mrs Ifeyinwa Unachukwu, a member of the committee and multi-media journalist, underscored the critical role of women in ensuring peaceful elections.
“Women bear the greatest pain when their children get caught up in political violence or electoral malpractice.
“We have seen mothers lose sons to thuggery and clashes that could have been avoided. This is why we must use our platforms, whether as mothers, journalists, or community leaders, to campaign against violence and promote peace. Elections should not be a do-or-die affair but a process that strengthens democracy,” she said.
Mrs Unachukwu added that the committee’s outreach also seeks to empower women with information that can help them discourage hate speech, fake news, and political manipulation in their communities.
Responding, Mrs Joy Otti, the ASTUC Woman Leader, commended the KDI Peace and Mediation Committee for its selfless service to the state, describing their intervention as timely and noble.
She said, “I sincerely thank you for this initiative and for remembering the women of Anambra.
“The violent attitude of some politicians and their supporters is unacceptable. They must remember that Anambra will still exist after the election. No one should destroy what we have built over the years in the name of politics.”
Mrs Otti pledged to use her office to mobilise women across all town unions to join the peace campaign and to collaborate with the committee to ensure a credible and violence-free election.
