INEC Declares Anambra 99% Ready for November 8 Governorship Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that Anambra State is fully prepared for the upcoming governorship election scheduled for November 8, 2025.

The declaration followed a weeklong readiness assessment conducted by a high-powered delegation from the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, led by the National Commissioner for Election Planning and Monitoring, Rhoda Gumus.

The delegation—which also included National Commissioners Sam Olumekun, Kenneth Ukeagu, and Baba Bila—undertook an extensive review of facilities, logistics, and security arrangements across various parts of the state.

According to a bulletin released on Monday by INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, the delegation arrived in Awka on October 21 and held a series of meetings with the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra State, Queen Elizabeth Agwu, and members of the State Management Team.

The bulletin noted that the mission was to ensure every logistical, security, and operational element required for the election was not only in place but functioning optimally. The team inspected preparations in several local government areas, including Dunukofia and Oyi, where deployment of non-sensitive materials was ongoing.

They also monitored the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards and interacted with residents, urging voters to remain patient and cooperative. Gumus assured that every eligible voter would be attended to before election day.

In separate meetings with Electoral Officers from the 21 local government areas, the team discussed logistics, early activation of Registration Area Centres, and efficient movement of personnel and materials. Ukeagu emphasized strict accountability, directing officers to ensure all election materials and vehicles were properly documented and tracked.

“This is not business as usual,” Ukeagu cautioned. “Stick to the agreed arrangements. Payment will be prompt, but accountability must be total.”

Bila, Chairman of INEC’s Electoral Operations and Logistics Committee, reminded officials of their duty to protect the Commission’s integrity, while Olumekun, who chairs the Information and Voter Education Committee, urged professionalism and transparency throughout the process.

The delegation also held a meeting with leaders of major transport unions—including the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), and Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN)—to fine-tune election-day logistics. INEC reaffirmed its collaboration with the unions under an existing Memorandum of Understanding, stressing compliance and accountability in vehicle deployment.

Security readiness was also reviewed during a high-level session of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), attended by representatives of the Police, Department of State Services, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the military. The agencies provided operational updates and reaffirmed their joint commitment to ensuring peaceful and credible polls across all polling units.

Resident Electoral Commissioner Queen Elizabeth Agwu commended the collaboration between INEC and security agencies, describing it as vital to maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.

The delegation rounded off its visit by supervising a Mock Accreditation Exercise in Anambra East Local Government Area, where the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was tested successfully. Ukeagu reported that the exercise demonstrated that the Commission was “99 per cent ready” for the governorship election.

Expressing satisfaction with the overall level of preparedness, National Commissioner Rhoda Gumus said the Commission’s confidence in Anambra’s readiness was well founded.

“Our visit has shown that Anambra is ready, INEC is ready, and the people are ready,” she said. “We look forward to delivering an election that truly reflects the will of the electorate.”