Anambra Decides: Situation Room Deploys Observers, Tasks INEC On Credible Conduct
As Anambra State prepares to elect its next governor on Saturday, 8th November 2025, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has convened in Awka to monitor the conduct of the crucial poll, calling for transparency, professionalism, and inclusivity in the process.
In a preliminary statement issued in Awka, the Situation Room described the election as the first major test for the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, who assumed office only a few weeks ago.
The group acknowledged assurances from both INEC and the Nigeria Police Force regarding logistical readiness and security deployment, noting that the credibility of the exercise would significantly impact public trust in Nigeria’s democratic process, particularly in the South-East region.
“The credible conduct of this poll will reinforce public trust in democracy and contribute to the deepening of democratic governance in Nigeria,” the Situation Room stated.
According to the statement, co signed by Yunusa Z. Ya’u, Mimidoo Achakpa, and Franklin Oloniju, Conveners, of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, INEC has deployed both sensitive and non-sensitive materials across the state’s 21 Local Government Areas, utilising 3,000 vehicles and 83 boats for logistics.
It said over 24,000 ad-hoc staff and 6,879 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines have also been distributed to Registration Area Centres and polling units.
The Situation Room called on INEC to ensure early deployment of personnel and materials, timely commencement of voting by 8:30am, and real-time transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal.
It also emphasised the need for functional BVAS devices, transparent collation, and inclusion of persons with disabilities, commending INEC’s collaboration with TAF Africa to deploy sign language interpreters for deaf voters.
On security, the group noted the deployment of 45,000 police personnel but expressed concern over what it described as a “manifestation of deficits within Nigeria’s democratisation process.” and urged security operatives to maintain professionalism and avoid actions that could intimidate voters.
“We acknowledge the need to secure the election, but such heavy deployment is concerning. The conduct of security personnel must be professional and supportive of voter confidence,” the statement read.
The Situation Room further observed that several political parties showed “a concerning lack of competitiveness” and urged them to deploy agents to all polling units and collation centres, stressing that failure to do so would amount to a dereliction of democratic duty.
While commending the peaceful pre-election environment in Anambra compared to previous tense elections, the group urged eligible voters to turn out en masse and resist the temptation of vote-selling.
“Selling votes is illegal and undermines the development of the State,” it warned but expressed optimism for a credible exercise.
“Recent elections have been fraught with irregularities, but we remain hopeful that this governorship election will mark a departure. We wish Ndi Anambra a peaceful electoral outing.”
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, made up of over 70 Civil Society Organisations, continues to serve as one of Nigeria’s foremost election observation and advocacy platforms, promoting accountability and credible democratic processes across the country.
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