Traders at Bridge Head Market, Onitsha, have pledged to mobilize massively for the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra State, following a voter education campaign by the Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC) under its Project IMPACT initiative.
SIDEC is implementing the Inclusive Mobilization for Participation, Advocacy and Civic Transformation (Project IMPACT) in partnership with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, with funding support from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK-FCDO)
Speaking during the sensitization session, the Executive Director of SIDEC, Mrs. Ugochi Ehiahuruike, emphasized that active participation by traders across Anambra markets is essential to improving voter turnout and strengthening democracy in the state.
She noted that out of more than 2.6 million registered voters in the 2021 election, only 92,000 people voted, a figure she described as “deeply disappointing” and one that must change in 2025.
Not about them but us
“Government is not about them, it’s about all of us. We must all take ownership and decide who governs us,” Ehiahuruike said.
“November 8, 2025, is not a day for football or movies—it’s a day to determine the destiny of Anambra State. Every trader, every citizen must come out and be counted.”
She further appealed for peace and inclusivity, stressing that no meaningful development can occur in an atmosphere of violence or exclusion.
“Peace is not negotiable. We must all shun violence and ensure that persons with disabilities are part of the voting process. INEC has promised to provide braille ballots and magnifying glasses for accessibility,” she said.
In his remarks, the Chairman of Bridge Head Market, Mr. Akwaeke Umuchu, lauded SIDEC for extending the voter education campaign to his market, describing it as a timely intervention that would rekindle civic consciousness among traders.
He pledged that his executive would mobilize every section of the market to participate actively in the November 8 election, stressing that the future of the state depends on collective action.
“We can’t complain about leadership when we fail to participate,” Umuchu said.
“SIDEC has reminded us that our votes truly count. We will carry this message to every shop and line in this market. Our goal is to ensure that Bridge Head traders come out in large numbers to vote.”
He also condemned vote buying, urging traders not to trade their future for temporary gains.
“Anyone who sells his vote sells his voice for four years. We’ve learned that the power to change our situation lies in our votes,” he added.
The session ended with a shop-to-shop voter sensitization rally, during which SIDEC team members and the traders distributed voter education materials and encouraged traders to exercise their civic responsibility peacefully.
