Anambra election to test INEC’s new boss
The November 8 Anambra State governorship election will serve as the first major test for Joash Amupitan, the newly appointed chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), as he steps into the demanding role of restoring public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
Appointed by President Bola Tinubu in early October and confirmed by the Senate two weeks later, Amupitan has had little time to settle into office before facing an election that could either make or mar his reputation.
“It is also an opportunity for the electoral umpire under the leadership of Prof Joash Amupitan, SAN, to prove to the world that it has turned a new page, and that the integrity of our election would not be sacrificed for the satisfaction of the ruling party,” ex-Vice President Atiku Abubakar posted on his X on November 2.
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Atiku, who is a leader of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), might have spoken like a politician, but he captured the minds of several Nigerians.
After years of complaints about bias and irregularities under Mahmood Yakubu, former INEC chair, citizens are demanding a transparent process, which will be free from excuses, scandals, or the technical glitches that plagued the 2023 elections, especially the malfunctioning of the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Past elections were marred by tampered result sheets, altered figures, and reports of party loyalists working as INEC ad hoc staff, in violation of the Electoral Act. Critics like Omoyele Sowore, presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), among others, have repeatedly accused the commission of appointing All Progressives Congress (APC) members as resident electoral commissioners and collation officers.
Amupitan, however, has pledged to chart a new course. Speaking during the peace accord signing by candidates in the Anambra election on Monday, he said: “As INEC chairman, I’m proud to be part of this peace accord signing for Anambra 2025 off cycle election. I was appointed recently and this is going to be my first assignment and I’m committed to ensure that this election is fair, credible and free. As much as we are committed to peace, we can only succeed if we have corresponding support from all the stakeholders.”
He assured voters of ‘significant improvement’ in election-day logistics, noting that a total of 2.8million voters will decide the winner of the election.
But Ikem Umeora, chairman of Voters Republic, is not moved as he noted that ‘seeing is believing.’
“We all want him to succeed, but he has to show us reasons to believe. He must remember that his conduct of the Saturday election will determine whether voters will come out in 2027 or sit down at home,” he noted.
The Anambra race is shaping up to be tightly contested, featuring incumbent Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA); Nicholas Ukachukwu of the APC; Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP); and John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
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Other candidates include George Moghalu (Labour Party), Echezona Oti (Allied People’s Movement), Chioma Ifemeludike (AAC), Jeff Nweke (Action Alliance), Charles Onyeze (Accord Party), Geoff Onyejegbu (New Nigeria Peoples Party), and Jude Ezenwafor (Peoples Democratic Party).
Soludo remains the candidate to beat, leveraging his incumbency, first-term record, and federal support. Ukachukwu, on the other hand, banks on his philanthropy, local popularity, and backing from Abuja.
Meanwhile, candidates like Ezenwafor, Nwosu, and Moghalu are positioning themselves as alternatives, hoping voter dissatisfaction with the governor can deliver an upset.
“We want a free, fair and credible election. We don’t want INEC to create problems for a peaceful state like Anambra. We want votes to count and results announced within 24 hours,” said Maduka Ihemeremma, a voter, who lives in Awada Obosi, Anambra State.
