The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has disclosed that the forthcoming Anambra State Governorship Election will be conducted in 5,718 out of the 5,720 polling units across the state.
The electoral body explained that two polling units would be excluded from the exercise due to the absence of registered voters.
Dr Kenneth Ikeagu, the National Commissioner supervising Anambra State and Chairman of INEC’s Tenders Board Committee, made this known during a readiness assessment visit by a delegation from the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Ikeagu stated that INEC had achieved 99 per cent operational preparedness for the 8th November 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 said.
The National Commissioner assured that elections would take place in all polling units in Ihiala Local Government Area, which had previously been 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 centres as was done during recent bye-elections to ensure that every eligible voter can cast his ballot,” he explained.
He disclosed that INEC would 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, whilst sensitive materials were 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 per cent of their payment before deployment and the balance after the election,” he stated.
He added that boats had been arranged for the transportation of materials and personnel in riverine areas, emphasising that accreditation would commence at 8:30 a.m., with INEC officials expected to arrive at their polling units by 7:00 a.m.
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 neighbouring states would also be mobilised 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, stressing that INEC would 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.
