David-ChyddyEleke reports that every group meant to participate in the Anambra state governorship election which holds on Saturday seems set for the exercise.
Tomorrow, November 8, 2025, over 2.8 million registered voters in Anambra state would be going to the polls to elect a governor. All agencies and organizations participating in the election seem to have dotted Is and crossed Ts, to ensure a seamless exercise. From the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to lead security agency involved on the election conduct; the police and other sister organizations, then the media and civil society, all seem set for the exercise. Political parties and their candidates are also no less prepared.
Days leading up to the election have been full of activities for all participating groups, with several trainings already held to ensure that agency staff involved in the conduct give out their very best.
On Tuesday, the Inspector General of Police, DrKayodeEgbetokun announced the deployment of CP AbayomiShogunle, to Anambra to head election duty. Police is the lead security agency for election conduct in Nigeria, while the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) and the Department of State Services (DSS) also help out.
To ensure that police personnel deployed for the election conduct give out their best, the IGP financed a two-day training organized by GTA Consulting, where various lectures by industry experts were dished out to police personnel. The training which was coordinated by Mr Johnson Ateghie also featured lecture from a professor of Criminology from University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Prof. Aniekan Brown who tutored officers and men on global best practices for security officials to conduct themselves during elections.
Brown during a paper presentation said: “Your job as security operatives is to ensure protection of lives and properties. You must do well to be civil, and put up a disposition that will encourage people to come and vote rather than frighten them. Knowing that your job is to protect lives and property, I dare say that if one person dies in the course of the election, you are deemed to have failed. If properties are destroyed, you have also failed. So you must employ global best practices in following your election duty.”
Also, the coordinator of the workshop, Mr Johnson Ateghie called on security personnel participating in the election to be civil and ensure that protection of lives and property remains their cardinal focus.
Head of security during election duty, CP AbayomiShogunle who has already resumed has also expressed the readiness of security personnel to ensure that all go well. The commencement of duty by Shogunle was conveyed in a press release by the spokesperson for the Anambra State Police Command, SP TochukwuIkenga who announced that Shogunle had already resumed as the Commissioner of Police to take charge of policing in the State for the Saturday’s Anambra election and has started strategic planning.
Ikenga said: “Upon assumption of duty, CP Shogunle activated the IGP’s Enforcement Protocol for anti-electoral offences to ensure zero tolerance for ballot snatching, vote-buying, political thuggery, and voter intimidation. The CP has also emplace a central command framework to ensure real-time intelligence sharing, coordination, and rapid response with a joint deployment of over 60,000 security personnel of agencies within the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) who will secure the 5,720 polling units with tactical reserves along inter-LGA and State boundaries, and also designated election collation centers.”
Ikenga quoted Shogunle as reiterating a total ban on all vigilante groups and all other quasi-security groups in the state as only the federal government security agencies are authorized to provide election security duties as provided by the laws of the federation. He said VIP movements with armed escorts or security aides at polling or collation centres are strictly prohibited, as violators will face immediate apprehension, withdrawal of such escorts, and prosecution. “Only designated INEC officials, accredited observers, and journalists are allowed to move freely between designated areas,” Shogunle said.
On his part, the newly appointed Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof JoashOjoAmupitan who was in the state for the peace accord signing ceremony organized by the National Peace Committee (NPC) for political parties’ chairmen and candidates, and who was also present at a stakeholders meeting organized by INEC, affirmed that the Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 8 would be credible. He said the election will be his first test in office, and that he was ready to deliver.
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. After witnessing the national peace accord signing five years ago, we decided to devolve it to involve not just the presidential election but states. This was because of the violence that had followed some elections in the past. We have had this several times and this is the second time it is happening here in Anambra. Parties have always honored the accord and we have always had peaceful election.
“Today we gather just days to the election and as an election body I want to assure that INEC is ready to deliver global best practices. It is not the signatures on this papers that bring peace, it is the commitment of those involved. So as you append your signature to this, ensure that the message is cascaded to all your supporters.
“By signing the peace accord, you are not only agreeing to this but showing that democracy can only thrive where peace prevails. Let us work together to ensure that the coming election is remembered for peace. Anambra is a microcosm of Nigeria and this election will be significant to other elections that are coming up. He urged voters to expect significant improvement in election day logistics, saying the election will be an improvement in every area. He said abiut 2.8million voters will decide the winner of the election, and that the commission ensured full participation by extending the collection of Permanent Voters Card (PVC) until Sunday. He assured that his mandate is to deliver credible election and that any individual trying to subvert the will of the people will be met with stiff resistance.
Speaking during the same ceremony, the Inspector General of Police, KayodeEgbetokun who was represented at the signing ceremony by DIG Benjamin Okolo assured that the police will ensure maximum security during the election. He warned separatist elements; Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) and their armed group, Eastern Security Network (ESN), saying any attempt to disrupt the election would be resisted.
He said: “This address is to show that police is committed and ready to present a free, fair, level playing ground to all. Ahead of the forthcoming election we will ensure order. The Nigeria Police Force stands prepared to ensure that the exercise happens under a free fair and credible atmosphere. We will be civil, yet firm and any attempt to undermine public peace will be met with stiff resistance. We remain alert, and we warn the proscribed IPOB and ESN that the peace of Anambra State shall not be negotiated.”
In the same vein, Amupitan, who also spoke at a stakeholders’ meeting organized by INEC for political parties warned against incidents of vote buying. He revealed that some individuals were determined to cause confusion and undermine the credibility of the polls through vote buying, but assured stakeholders that despite such distractions, the commission remained fully committed to conducting a free, fair, and credible election in the state. “INEC is fully prepared for this election. We will not tolerate any acts capable of compromising the integrity of the electoral process,” he vowed.
Also, the Supervising Chairman for the Anambra governorship election and Chairman of the INEC Tenders Board, Dr Ken Ikeagu, announced the readiness of INEC for the election. He said a total of 6,879 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines had been fully configured and tested ahead of the poll, more than 3,000 vehicles had been secured for the movement of election officials and the conveyance of sensitive and non-sensitive materials, and that 83 boats would be deployed for riverine areas, while 2,802,790 registered voters would participate in the election.
To underscore INEC’s preparedness, journalists, civil society organizations and other observer groups have received their accreditation. This, it was learnt, would curtail movement on election day, as only those accredited would be empowered to move around.
Though there have been rumours of expected violence, Governor of Anambra State, Prof. ChukwumaSoludo who spoke on behalf of the candidates during the peave accord signing ceremony assured that all the parties and their candidates would adhere to the peace accord, reiterating that Anambra has a history of fighting dirty during election, but would always meet at weekend to wine and dine together.
He said: “The candidates are all my friends. The roforofo (fight) will end on Thursday and by Sunday we will all go for thanksgiving. It is the Anambra way. When we fight, we fight as if there is no tomorrow but after that we get back and begin to dine and wine together.
I thank the Kukahcentre for initiating this. This is my second time I’m participating in this, and reading through the wordings, it is quite important to our democratic process and we hope that we internalize all the wordings.
“To my colleagues, what we signed today is something we should go home with and give to our campaign partners. What we have signed today is a secret oath. As we go home let us try to domesticate the oath we have taken. We will cooperate with the INEC to ensure that this is the best election ever in terms of transparency, due process integrity and all. To the police I say, we have 5,720 polling units. You will secure the state and secure the electoral process. We are committed to one man, one vote. Let people vote, count the votes and announce the votes. Me and my party the APGA will be happy to abide by this.”
A total of 16 candidates of various political parties would participate in the election on Saturday, including the Anambra State Governor, Prof Soludo who is seeking re-election. The state is already charged with activities, while the electorates are eager to hit the poll to cast their votes.
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