The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has affirmed its readiness to conduct the November 8, 2025, Anambra State Governorship Election.
The electoral body assured Nigerians of a transparent, credible, and peaceful exercise that will reflect the genuine will of the electorate.
Its Chairman, Prof. 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.
The forthcoming Anambra election will be the first major off-cycle poll to be supervised by Prof. Amupitan since his assumption of office earlier in the year, following the completion of Prof. Mahmood Yakubu’s tenure.
The INEC Chairman reiterated his administration’s determination to build on existing reforms that promote electoral transparency and public confidence in the Commission.
“The Anambra Governorship election is just 11 days away, and after extensive field assessments, the Commission is fully confident in its preparedness for the polls,” he stated.
INEC, he said, will deploy about 24,000 ad hoc personnel across 5,718 of the 5,720 polling units in the state, with elections not holding in the remaining two units due to the absence of registered voters. Collation of results will take place at 326 ward centres, 21 local government collation centres, and culminate at the State Collation Centre in Awka.
He disclosed that the Commission recently carried out a mock accreditation exercise in 12 polling units across six local government areas, using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The INEC Chairman announced the extension of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection in Anambra State. The exercise, initially scheduled to close earlier, will now run from Wednesday, October 29, to Sunday, November 2, 2025.
“INEC remains committed to ensuring that every eligible voter has the opportunity to exercise their franchise. No voter should be disenfranchised due to an inability to collect their PVC,” he affirmed, noting that the decision followed a report showing that only 63.9 percent of registered voters had collected their cards.
Speaking on logistics, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had partnered awith key 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 facilitate the movement of personnel and materials, particularly in riverine areas.
He lauded the security agencies for their continued support and disclosed that a high-level ICCES meeting had earlier been held in Anambra, during which the Police, DSS, NSCDC, and military authorities assured of comprehensive deployments and coordinated security operations before, during, and after the polls.
“Synergy among all security agencies is non-negotiable, especially at a time when the integrity of our elections is paramount,” he emphasized.
He further warned against vote buying, urging security and anti-graft agencies to intensify efforts to check electoral inducement and other forms of malpractice that could undermine the process.
“Any attempt to influence voters before or during the election must be resisted. Together, we must protect the sanctity of the ballot and safeguard our democracy,” he warned.
