On Tuesday, 15th October 2025, the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room held a dialogue session in Abuja to assess INEC Nigeria‘s preparedness for the upcoming Anambra State Governorship Election scheduled for November 8, 2025. At the event, Anambra State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, expressed confidence in the Commission’s readiness to conduct a free, fair, and credible election.
Dr. Agwu revealed that approximately 2.8 million registered voters are expected to participate, with about 140,007 newly registered voters set to receive their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) before the end of the week. INEC has deployed 978 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines across 5,720 polling units in the State. She emphasised the strict security measures in place for sensitive election materials, which are stored in a highly secured strong room with multiple layers of protection. Dr. Agwu also lamented voter apathy, urging citizens to participate actively and dismissing claims that their votes would not count.
Representing the Anambra State Commissioner of Police, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Ekulu Remijius outlined robust security plans to ensure a peaceful election. The police will conduct a “show of force” on the eve of election day Friday, November 7, as well as shut down the borders of Anambra State between the hours of 12 midnight and 6pm on the Election Day. This is customary with safety measures put in place by the Nigeria Police during elections. On E-Day, movement will be restricted to accredited personnel (INEC personnel, media, security personnel and observers) only. Identified flashpoints will be closely monitored and raided to deter criminal activities. Security around correctional centres will be tightened to prevent jailbreak attempts, and the military will secure all boundary towns to prevent infiltration.
ACP Remijius expressed confidence that the heightened security presence, including personnel deployed from outside the state, will deter troublemakers and guarantee a smooth election process. Post-election security measures are also in place to handle potential protests or unrest.
The dialogue session provided an opportunity for stakeholders to engage with INEC and security agencies, emphasising transparency, preparedness, and the importance of citizen participation in the electoral process.
Video Credit: Arise News