Deborah Akinyosoye
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced that it will conduct the forthcoming Anambra State Governorship Election in 5,718 out of the 5,720 polling units across the state.
According to the Commission, two polling units will be excluded from the exercise because they currently have no registered voters.
The information was given by Dr. Kenneth Ikeagu, the National Commissioner supervising Anambra State and Chairman of INEC’s Tenders Board Committee, during a readiness assessment visit by a delegation from INEC headquarters, Abuja.
According to Ikeagu, INEC has achieved 99% operational preparedness for the November 8, 2025 governorship election in Anambra State.
“We came all the way from Abuja to conduct what is called a readiness assessment for the gubernatorial election. We held meetings with critical stakeholders, monitored the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, across the state, and we are satisfied with the level of preparedness. We are ready for the election,” he stated.
He assured that elections will take place in all polling units in Ihiala local government area, which is a part of the state that was previously affected by security challenges.
He assured that elections will take place in all polling units in Ihiala local government area, which is a part of the state that was previously affected by security challenges.
“Security agencies said that they have successfully recovered and stabilised areas that were once threatened by insecurity. However, where challenges persist, INEC has contingency arrangements, including the use of local government area collation centers as was done during recent bye-elections to ensure that every eligible voter can cast his ballot,” he explained.
He also stated that INEC will deploy approximately 24,000 ad-hoc personnel across Anambra State to ensure the smooth conduct of the election.
On logistics, Ikeagu said the Commission had achieved near-total readiness, with non-sensitive materials already delivered to INEC offices across the state, and sensitive materials scheduled for delivery 24 hours before the election.
We have signed Memoranda of Understanding with transport unions and vehicle owners to ensure the timely and secure movement of election materials. They will receive 50% of their payment before deployment and the balance after the election,” he stated.
He added that boats have been arranged for the transportation of materials and personnel in riverine areas, emphasizing that accreditation will commence at 8:30 a.m., and INEC officials are expected to arrive at their polling units by 7:00 am
Speaking on security, Dr. Ikeagu disclosed that the Commission had held meetings with heads of security agencies, who assured that adequate personnel would be deployed. Officers from neighboring states will also be mobilized to reinforce security coverage across Anambra.
Praising residents of the state for their peaceful disposition ahead of the election, he said: “I commend Ndi Anambra for the maturity and calm they have displayed. Security is everybody’s business,not just that of the police. Let us all work together to ensure a peaceful and credible election.”
Ikeagu confirmed that the mock accreditation exercise conducted on Saturday evening was successful, with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) performing optimally.
“The BVAS functioned effectively during the mock accreditation; the process took less than a minute per voter. This gives us confidence ahead of the main election,” he noted.
He also reminded registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), stressing that INEC will not allow PVC collection by proxy.
“The election is a shared responsibility. Every voter must take it seriously by collecting his PVCs. After the election, uncollected PVCs will remain available at the local government offices, as they are the property of the individual voter,” he said.