•     Adequate security arrangements have been made, Police, NSCDC assure electorates 

·      Efficiency, impartiality, others will make or mar polls, Yiaga Africa declares

·      Observer groups preach against vote-buying

Chiemelie Ezeobi, Sunday Okobi in Lagos, David-Chyddy Eleke in Awka and Michael Olugbode in Abuja

All is set for today’s Anambra governorship election, as voters across the state prepare to head to the polls to elect the next governor of their choice.

Investigations across the State reveal a mix of excitement and apprehension among residents, while heavy security presence underscores the preparedness of security agencies. In Awka, the state capital, patrol teams were seen stationed at strategic locations and moving through major streets to ensure a peaceful election.

This comes as Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence Department, DIG Benjamin Okolo, who also doubles as the DIG in charge of the elections, assured residents that adequate security measures have been put in place in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Audi reaffirmed the Corps’ dual commitment to protecting lives and securing Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) while ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process.

A total of 16 candidates, contenders and pretenders, would be participating in the election, even though not all of them are very strongly rooted in the State.

Among the political parties and candidates contesting the election are: Prof. Chukwuma Soludo of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), who is the currently the Governor of the State; Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of All Progressives Congress (APC), Mr. Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), Mr. John Nwosu of African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Dr. George Moghalu of Labour Party (LP).

Others are Oti Echezona of Allied People’s Movement (APM), Ms. Chioma Ifemeludike of African Action Congress (AAC),  Jeff Nweke of Action Alliance (AA), Charles Onyeze of Accord, Geoff Onyejegbu of New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Jude Ezenwafor of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Chukwududem Nweke of Action Peoples Party  (APP).

The contestants also include Jerry Okeke of Boot Party, Ndidi Olieh of National Rescue Movement (NRM), Martin Ugwoji of Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Vincent Chukwurah of Social Democratic Party (SDP).

Six of the most popular among them include Soludo, Ukachukwu, Moghalu, Nwosu, Chukwuma and Nweke.

Of the six, however, the zoning arrangement in the state, which has remained an unwritten pact, but very effective, seems to make it near impossible for two of the candidates- Chukwuma  and Nweke, as they hail from the Northern and Central senatorial zones respectively.

A total of 2,802,790 registered voters would participate in the election. Some members of the public who spoke to THISDAY insisted that they are ready with their voter’s card to elect a candidate of their choice.  In previous elections, there were voter apathy to the level that less than 10 percent of the entire registered voters decided the winner of the election. In 2021, just a little above 200,000 persons out of about 2.7million registered voters were able to cast their votes.

Despite the number of contestants in the event, the contest has proven to be a two-horse race between Soludo and Ukachukwu.

Beyond the fact that APGA and the APC are the most noticeable parties in the state, certain indices favour both candidates and make them the most likely winners of today’s polls.

The indices include popularity of party, incumbency factor, federal might, zoning formula, religious politics, among others.

Popularity

While Soludo is expected to rely on his personal popularity and track record, the APC candidate, Ukachukwu, will be counting on the rising influence and expanding support base of his party. APGA has ruled Anambra for about 20years with unbroken record, and has subsequently grown into a cult in the state. It is very common to see an elderly rural woman giving instructions to aides to vote for ‘Igbo party’, or ‘Ojukwu party’, but that is not the case for other parties. There are instances when rural woman had rejected money from other parties, just to ensure they cast their votes for APGA.

On the other hand, APC has recently grown in Anambra State, especially among the elites, who have been steadily flooding the party. Its advantage as the party in power at the national level will also be an advantage for Ukachukwu. Ukachukwu will be banking on this newfound popularity to achieve victory.

Incumbency/Ruling party

While Soludo will hope to leverage his advantage as an incumbent governor in the election, Ukachukwu would be hoping that the might of the federal government would be deployed to his advantage. These factor is likely to aid the victory of any of the two contestants.

Zoning Formula

Anambra operates a silent but very potent zoning arrangement in the State, which sees a senatorial zone completing their term and handing over to a politician in the state from the next zone.

Presently, the southern senatorial zone of the State is favoured for the contest, and both Ukachukwu and Soludo are from the zone. This has proven to be one of the selling points of both men, and such campaign about zoning has silenced few contestants in the race who are not from the zone.

Soludo however seems to have greater advantage as it is believed that the victory of any other candidate from the zone other than Soludo may give the zone the advantage of staying more than eight years, thereby delaying the chances of Anambra Central zone, which is next in line for the office.

Religious Politics

This is usually seldom spoken about, but being a Catholic or an Anglican gives a candidate greater chances of winning the governorship in the state. Both denominations are the two most powerful in the state, not just commanding large population, but have leaders who are very conscious of the religious denomination of the candidate who is coming to take the reins of power.

Soludo is from a Catholic background, and the church is powerful and has held the position from the days of Dr. Chris Nigeria to this day. His deputy is not just a member of the Anglican Church as the case has always been, but also the younger brother of the Anglican Bishop of Awka, Rt Rev. Dr Alex Ibezim, who is also deemed to be powerful.

This is a huge advantage to Soludo as against Ukachukwu’s background as a member of the Pentecostal stock in the state.

Adequate Security Arrangements Have Been Made, DIG Okolo Assures Electorates 

Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Force Intelligence Department, DIG Benjamin Okolo, who also doubles as the DIG in charge of the elections, has assured residents that adequate security measures have been put in place in line with the directive of the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun.

The IGP, in his directive earlier this week, had ordered all police commands and formations to ensure watertight security around the state and intensify intelligence-driven operations to forestall any attempt to disrupt the exercise. 

He also cautioned political actors against actions capable of breaching the peace, reiterating that the police would not hesitate to enforce the law where necessary.

Speaking during an interview yesterday, at the Command Headquarters in Awka, Okolo said all security arrangements had been finalised to ensure a peaceful, fair, and credible election across the state.

He stated that the IGP had directed that maximum deployment of personnel, logistics, and intelligence assets be made to guarantee the safety of voters, electoral officials, and materials during the election.

Speaking on flashpoints and arrangement made by the police to contain any unrest in such areas, he reiterated: “Adequate security arrangement has been made in accordance with the IGP’s directive. Also, arrangements have been made to contain any issue that may arise during the exercise. Deployments have been made to respond swiftly to such incidents.”

 Stressing on the peaceful atmosphere in the state and the ground work done by the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ikioye Orutugu, voters were urged to come out en mass and vote. 

The DIG further said the Nigeria Police Force, working in collaboration with other security agencies, conducted series of pre-election engagements, including stakeholder meetings and the signing of a peace accord by political parties and candidates. 

These efforts, he said, were aimed at promoting peaceful participation and deterring violence before, during, and after the polls.

“We assure the people of Anambra that, through our interactions with stakeholders, the peace accord, and the readiness of our men on ground, every intention has been made to ensure that the election is peaceful, fair, and credible,” he added.

Okolo further appealed to voters to come out and exercise their civic responsibility without fear, assuring that security operatives had been properly briefed to maintain professionalism and neutrality throughout the process.

With the deployment of personnel across all 21 local government areas, checkpoints, and collation centres, the Police High Command assured that Anambra is fully secured ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.

Efficiency, Impartiality, Others Will Make or Mar the Election, Says Yiaga Africa

Yiaga Africa yesterday said the off-cycle election would serve as a critical test of the INEC under the new chairman, adding that factors, including efficiency, integrity, and impartiality, will make or mar the election in the State.

The group also stated that the State election presents a key moment to assess Nigeria’s democratic credentials ahead of the 2027 general elections.

 The Executive Director of the group and Chair of the 2025 Anambra Election Mission, Dr. Samson Itodo, disclosed this while addressing journalists yesterday in Lagos State.       

 According to him, Yiaga Africa is deploying ‘Watching the Vote’ as part of a broader civil society election observation hub supported by the European Union under the EU Support for Democratic Governance Project (EU-SDGN) to ensure its credibility and integrity.

Itodo noted that: “The Election Observation Hub comprises organisations such as Yiaga Africa, The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), and others is deploying 687 observers across Anambra State, working in coordinated clusters that cover election integrity and results verification, disability inclusion, gender participation, peace building, media and misinformation tracking, logistics observation, and real-time data reporting.

“INEC disclosed that a total of 2,802,790 registered voters are eligible to participate, including 140,370 newly registered voters across the 326 wards.

“The election will take place in 5,718 polling units, as two out of the expected 5,720 units have no registered voters.

“Sixteen political parties have fielded candidates for the governorship race, including two women. This election marks the seventh off-cycle governorship election since the 2023 general elections and will serve as a critical test of the INEC under the new INEC Chairman. It also presents a key moment to assess Nigeria’s democratic credentials ahead of the 2027 general elections.”

The election monitoring mission chair disclosed that YiagaAfrica is positioned to expose any manipulation of the announced results if they do not match the results announced and posted at polling units.

“Therefore, as election day approaches, we urge all stakeholders to commit to a peaceful, fair, inclusive, and credible electoral process. We commend the 18 governorship candidates for signing the Peace Accord and the National Peace Committee, led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar, for facilitating this important agreement.

“The signing of the Peace Accord is a significant commitment to peace and an important step towards ensuring a violence-free election.

“Yiaga Africa has outlined three critical benchmarks that will shape the credibility of the electoral process: efficiency of logistics, integrity in electoral procedures, and impartiality of security agencies. Drawing from past electoral experiences and recent by-elections, these three tests will serve as the litmus test for public trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and political actors. Failure to meet these standards could further erode voter confidence and deepen the legitimacy crisis in Nigeria’s democracy.

“Also, the ability of security agencies to maintain neutrality in managing election security will be a decisive factor in defining the credibility of the election. The August 2025 bye-election revealed troubling instances of politicians moving around with armed escorts and the use of vigilante operatives to intimidate voters.

“Security agencies must resist political pressure and uphold their constitutional duty to remain neutral and professional,” Itodo warned.

NSCDC Assures Voters of Safety

The Commandant General of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Prof. Ahmed Audi, reaffirmed the Corps’ dual commitment to protecting lives and securing Critical National Assets and Infrastructure (CNAI) while ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process.

Speaking through the Deputy Commandant General in charge of Operations, DCG Philip Ayuba, the CG assured citizens that NSCDC personnel deployed for election duty have been thoroughly briefed to operate with professionalism, neutrality, and utmost respect for human rights throughout the exercise.

He said: “Our presence at the polling stations is to protect, not to interfere. We are there to create an atmosphere where voters feel safe, confident, and free to exercise their civic rights.”

He noted that the Corps’ responsibility extends beyond providing physical security to ensuring the protection of critical installations such as electricity, water supply, communication facilities, and other public utilities that support the electoral process and national stability.

“Our mandate compels us to safeguard the assets that keep the nation running,  because the credibility of any election depends not just on the safety of voters, but also on the protection of the systems that sustain it,” the CG added.

Audi emphasised that the NSCDC remains steadfast in its constitutional role of protecting lives, securing public infrastructure, and promoting peace during national assignments.

He charged officers to maintain vigilance around INEC facilities, government buildings, and other strategic locations, warning that any compromise or political involvement would attract strict disciplinary action.

The Commandant General further assured that the NSCDC will continue to work in synergy with the Nigeria Police Force, the Armed Forces, and other security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to deliver a smooth and transparent process.

He appealed to voters to remain calm, law-abiding, and cooperative with security agencies, reiterating that their safety, the protection of vital assets, and the credibility of the election remain the Corps’ top priorities.

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