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By Tracy Moses
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared its full preparedness for the November 8, 2025, Anambra State Governorship Election, pledging to deliver a transparent, credible, and peaceful process that truly reflects the will of the electorate.
INEC Chairman, Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Abuja during the quarterly meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), held at the Commission’s headquarters.
This will be the first major off-cycle election to be conducted under Amupitan since his appointment earlier in the year, following the completion of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure. The Anambra poll is widely seen as a crucial test for the new INEC leadership and for Nigeria’s democratic resilience, given the state’s complex political landscape and history of voter apathy and insecurity.
Speaking at the meeting attended by security chiefs and intelligence agency representatives, the INEC Chairman reaffirmed his personal resolve to build on his predecessor’s legacy by strengthening institutional transparency and electoral credibility.
“The Anambra Governorship election is just 11 days away, and following extensive field assessments, the Commission is confident in affirming its full preparedness for the polls,” he said.
Amupitan disclosed that 24,000 ad hoc personnel would be deployed across 5,718 of the state’s 5,720 polling units, noting that elections would not hold in two units due to the absence of registered voters. Results, he said, will be collated at 326 ward collation centres, 21 local government centres, and finally at the State Collation Centre in Awka.
He added that a mock accreditation exercise was recently conducted in 12 polling units across six local governments using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). While acknowledging some network hitches during the exercise, he assured that all challenges had been rectified ahead of the main election.
To ensure wider voter participation, the INEC boss announced an extension of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection exercise in Anambra State, now to run from Wednesday, October 29, to Sunday, November 2, 2025.
“Our mandate is to conduct credible elections, and we are determined that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised,” he stated, explaining that the decision followed reports showing only 63.9 percent of registered voters had collected their PVCs.
On logistics, Amupitan said the Commission had finalized arrangements with major transport unions, including the National Association of Transport Owners (NATO), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria (MUWN), for the deployment of 200 buses and 83 boats to ensure efficient movement of personnel and materials, especially in difficult terrains.
He commended security agencies for their cooperation and briefed that a high-level ICCES meeting had already taken place in Anambra, where the Police, DSS, NSCDC, and military commanders assured of robust deployment and coordinated patrols before, during, and after the election.
“Synergy among all security agencies is non-negotiable, particularly at a time when the credibility of our elections is paramount,” he emphasized.
The INEC Chairman also issued a stern warning against vote buying, stressing that the Commission, in collaboration with law enforcement and anti-corruption agencies, would take decisive action against those attempting to influence voters through inducements.
“Any attempt to induce voters before or during the election must be resisted and curtailed. We must join hands to combat this menace and uphold the values of democracy,” Amupitan warned.
He urged all members of ICCES and other stakeholders to sustain their collaboration to ensure that the Anambra governorship election sets a new benchmark for transparency, efficiency, and integrity in Nigeria’s electoral system.