Campaign of Calumny, Hate Speech Clouding Anambra Governorship Election: Civil Society Raises Alarm
As the countdown to the November 2025 Anambra Governorship Election gathers pace, the Anambra Civil Society Network (ACSONet), a foremost body of civil society organisations in the State, has raised alarm over the growing trend of hate speech, campaign of calumny, and political violence. The Network through Prince Chris Azor, Chairman, Anambra Civil Society Organizations Network (ACSONet) warned that unless urgent steps are taken, the state risks sliding into a dangerous cycle of conflict, distrust, and instability. ACSONet expressed worry that beyond inflammatory rhetoric, incidents of violence are already surfacing. In Nri community, Anaocha LGA, supporters of rival parties recently clashed over campaign billboards, pulling down one another’s posters until security operatives intervened. At a burial ceremony in another community, suspected gunmen attacked mourners, leaving several feared dead, creating a climate of fear that could spill into the political space. Most recently, the St...