Anambra guber poll: INEC, security agencies gear up for peaceful election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) have assured Nigerians of their readiness for the November 8, 2025, Anambra State Governorship Election, promising a credible, peaceful, and secure process.

Speaking at the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Abuja on Tuesday, Joash Ojo Amupitan, chairman INEC, said the Commission was fully prepared for the exercise and committed to upholding the integrity of the ballot.

“It is an honour to co-chair this assembly today, my maiden edition, as the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission,” Amupitan said.

“For INEC, this represents a new chapter, and I wish to reiterate my personal commitment to delivering free, fair, and credible elections that genuinely reflect the will of the Nigerian people.”

The INEC boss disclosed that following a week-long readiness assessment across Anambra State, the Commission was confident of its preparedness.

“We recently conducted a mock accreditation exercise in 12 selected polling units in six local government areas using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Although we encountered some network challenges, efforts are being made to ensure a seamless election on 8th November,” he stated.

According to him, INEC will deploy 24,000 personnel for the exercise, with elections holding in 5,718 of the 5,720 polling units, as two have no registered voters. Results, he said, will be collated at 326 ward centres, 21 local government area centres, and finally at the State Collation Centre in Awka.

Amupitan also announced an extension of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection to ensure no eligible voter is disenfranchised. “Following a report that only 63.9% of registered voters had collected their PVCs, the Commission met yesterday and decided to extend the ongoing collection exercise in Anambra State from Wednesday, 29th October to Sunday, 2nd November 2025,” he said.

“Our mandate is to conduct credible elections, and we are determined that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised.”

The INEC Chairman further commended the security agencies for their role in ensuring election safety and logistics coordination, noting that synergy among all stakeholders was crucial. “The security agencies have played a crucial role in securing the environment, without which the conduct of elections would be impossible in certain locations,” he said.

“To ensure every logistical, security, and operational detail for the successful election in Anambra is covered, a high-level ICCES meeting was held in the state itself. Representatives of the Police, DSS, NSCDC, and the military collectively assured readiness with heavy deployments and coordinated patrols before, during, and after the election,” Amupitan added.

On logistics, he revealed that INEC had concluded arrangements with major transport unions for material and personnel movement. “We have hired 200 buses and 83 boats through the National Association of Transport Owners (NATO), the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), and the Maritime Union Workers of Nigeria (MUWN) to ensure seamless transportation,” he stated.

Amupitan also issued a stern warning against vote buying, saying, “Any attempt to induce voters before or during the Anambra election must be resisted and curtailed.

We must join hands to combat the menace of vote buying. The Commission is pleased with our collaboration with law enforcement agencies, especially the anti-graft agencies, to stop vote buyers from contaminating our electoral process.”

He urged all stakeholders to remain united, adding, “Together, let us combat vote buying, uphold the values of democracy and work relentlessly for the credibility of our elections. The path ahead may be challenging, but if we stand united, there is nothing we cannot achieve.”

Representing Nuhu Ribadu, National Security Adviser, Hassan Yahaya Abdullahi, Director of Internal Security at the ONSA, assured that robust security measures were already in place to secure the electoral process.

“The Office of the National Security Adviser remains fully committed to fulfilling President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive on the strategic mobilization of security forces during the electoral period,” Abdullahi said.

“This commitment is essential to ensuring the highest level of safety and security.”

He explained that security agencies had put in place “enhanced surveillance, deployment of sufficient personnel, and improved intelligence gathering to prevent any attempt by disruptive elements or desperate politicians to undermine the electoral process.”

According to him, the ONSA was also engaging political party leaders and stakeholders to discourage violence and promote peace.

“We are proactively engaging with political party leaders and local stakeholders to send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated in our elections. All participating political parties and their candidates must advocate for peace and encourage their supporters to conduct themselves in a manner that honours the integrity of our electoral system,” he said.

Read also: 24,000 staff, 540 journalists to participate in Anambra governorship election – INEC

Abdullahi stressed that “any form of violence during the elections will be met with a strong, uncompromising response,” adding that the Nigeria Police Force, as the lead agency for election security, along with other security agencies, stands prepared and resolute to maintain order during and after the polls.

“We call upon all citizens to collaborate and commit to a peaceful electoral process that reflects our shared values and aspirations,” he concluded.

The ICCES meeting brought together heads of security, intelligence, and law enforcement agencies, alongside INEC officials, to fine-tune preparations for the Anambra election — which will serve as a major test of Nigeria’s electoral and security coordination under the new INEC leadership.