The Governorship Election in Anambra State
No fewer than 2.8 million voters will today decide who governs Anambra State for the next four years. This governorship election is the first to be held under the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, who assumed office on October 23. Many observers have said the election will be a test of INEC’s ability to conduct a free and fair election and its sincerity about electoral reforms.
INEC reported that a total of 2,802,790 registered voters were eligible to participate, including 140,370 newly registered voters across the state’s 326 wards. With about 98.8 per cent of Permanent Voter Cards collected, candidates from major political parties are jostling for power. These candidates include Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu (All Progressives Congress), Dr George Moghalu (Labour Party), John Nwosu (African Democratic Congress), Jude Ezenwafor (Peoples Democratic Party), and Sir Paul Chukwuma (Young Progressives Party). They are competing against the incumbent, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, who is seeking re-election.
The commission also indicated that 16 political parties fielded candidates for the governorship race, including two women. INEC confirmed that all 5,718 polling units would open at 8:30am today, with 6,879 BVAS devices configured and backed up, and over 24,000 trained ad hoc staff ready to serve.
Security Measures and Restrictions
INEC officials began distributing sensitive and non-sensitive materials to all local government areas on Thursday. The exercise, which took place at the Central Bank of Nigeria office in Awka, was supervised by the State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Queen Awgu, under heavy security. Awgu explained that key materials, including the BVAS, Forms EC8A, and Forms EC8B, were being transported to registration area centres ahead of the poll. She urged residents to come out en masse to exercise their franchise.
On Friday, the Anambra State Police Command announced total restriction of vehicular movement in and out of the state during the election. The spokesman for the police command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, said the restriction would take effect from 12am to 6pm. He advised all interstate travellers intending to pass through any part of the state to take alternative routes during the period. Only persons on essential duties such as designated INEC officials, accredited journalists and election observers, medical personnel, emergency responders, and essential services providers would be exempted.
Increased Security Presence
The number of security personnel deployed for the poll has been increased from 45,000 to 55,000 officers. According to the Commissioner of Police in charge of the Anambra election, Abayomi Shogunle, this measure is intended to ensure adequate security across the state and protect both voters and electoral officials during the exercise. Security operatives cordon off INEC’s state office, and the headquarters in Anambra State has been barricaded by security agencies ahead of today’s election.
Monitoring Groups and Situation Rooms
Several election monitoring groups have set up situation rooms in Anambra State ahead of today’s governorship election. This includes the Centre for Transparency Advocacy and the Centre for Democracy and Development. CTA says it deployed 50 observers who will send in real-time reports, while CDD-West Africa trained and accredited 178 observers in the 21 local government areas of the state. In addition, the police authorities in Abuja deployed the Deputy Inspector General of Police, DIG Benjamin Okolo, as the supervisory officer for all security personnel deployed for the election.
Political Parties and Campaigns
The Publicity Secretary of the APC in the state, Okelo Madukaife, expressed confidence in INEC to conduct the election, despite flashpoints he said were being progressively addressed. He urged INEC to play by the rules and advised security operatives not to intimidate, harass, or molest the electorate. The Publicity Secretary of APGA, Mazi Ejimofor Opara, called for increased voter participation, adding that as a party, it was targeting the one million vote mark from the 2.8 million registered voters.
Last-Minute Rush and Calm Atmosphere
Although the environment remained calm and peaceful, many residents on Friday besieged various markets to make last-minute shopping over the movement restriction on Saturday. Our correspondents report that activities at markets in major cities including Onitsha, Nnewi, Obosi, Ekwulobia, and Awka recorded a high number of buyers. Apart from the markets, various motor parks bubbled with heavy activities as commuters were seen traveling to their various communities where they would cast their votes.
Battleground Areas and Voting Patterns
The major battleground will be in Anambra North, where the YPP candidate, Sir Paul Chukwuma, is the only candidate contesting from the area. Anambra North covers Onitsha North, Onitsha South, Ovi Ogbaru, Anambra East, Anambra West, and Ayamelum local government areas. The APGA candidate, Soludo, affirmed that he had the backing of the electorate from Anambra North and expressed hope that his predecessor, former Governor Willie Obiano, would work for the party.
Anambra Central, which has the largest voting population in the state with seven LGAs, is a stronghold of the APC deputy governorship candidate, Uche Ekwunife. However, APGA has made inroads into the zone since the party zoned the ticket of the next governor to the area.
Flashpoints and Security Concerns
A non-governmental organisation, Yiaga Africa, identified six flashpoints that should be closely monitored for possible security threats. These include Orumba North, Orumba South, Ogbaru, Ihiala, Nnewi South, and Aguata. The Chair of the 2025 Anambra Election Mission, Yiaga Africa, Dr Asmau Maikudi, disclosed this in a pre-election press conference in Awka, on Friday. She outlined three critical benchmarks that would shape the credibility of the electoral process: efficiency of logistics, integrity in electoral procedures, and impartiality of security agencies.