Issued: 2:30pm – Saturday, 8th November 2025
The Anambra State Governorship Election began as scheduled on Saturday, 8th November 2025. The peaceful atmosphere that preceded election day continued. Reports from our networks of observers and partners deployed across the State showed a relatively delayed opening of polls with an average time of 9:15am in majority of the polling units observed. While we acknowledge timely opening of polls in a few voting locations, we note that the extremely late opening of polls were in many voting locations in Ogbaru and Nnewi-North Local Government Areas (LGAs) where polls largely opened after 10:00am.
Situation Room is particularly concerned that some Polling Units (PUs 015, 012, 013, 004 and 003) located within the RAC centre at Umuike Public Square, Ward 9, Awka South LGA, that should not require transportation failed to setup and did not commence voting until after 9:00am. Situation Room observers reported a slow turnout of voters in several PUs and observed numerous residents opening shops and going about their normal businesses during early hours of voting in most of the LGAs.
The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was reported to have performed efficiently with a one-minute average turnaround time for accreditation of a voter in majority of the polling units, and poll officials displaying a somewhat good knowledge of the voting process. However, voting was delayed till 10:30am in PU 015 All Hallow Seminary School in Ward 9 of Onitsha North LGA due to malfunctioning of the deployed BVAS.
Sensitization Around Relocation and Clustering of Polling Units:
Situation Room observed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not conduct adequate sensitization of voters around the polling units that were relocated and clustered in several voting locations across the State. Observers reported that this clustering of polling units without adequate communication hindered easy identification of polling units in the affected locations except in Ihiala LGA where 80 polling units from Azia, Mbosi, Lilu, Iseke, Obolo Isiuzo and Osumowo Wards were moved into the premises of the local government secretariat due to fear of insecurity.
Election Security:
Situation Room observers reported a general presence of security personnel, particularly personnel of the Nigeria Police Force, in the State and at several PUs. However, the deployment of these personnel was not optimal as some areas visited in Nnewi-South, Anaocha, Onitsha-North, etc were not fully covered. Many of the security personnel our observers interacted with complained that they were yet to receive allowances for the election duty.
Situation Room did not receive reports of any major violent incidents in this election except in PUs 001, 002 and 003 in Ward 2 of Anaocha LGA where some thugs dressed in INEC vest disrupted the voting process and denied supporters of some political parties’ access to the polling unit in favour of another party. This was immediately escalated to the Nigeria Police.
Misinformation and Fake News:
Situation Room also received reports from its partner of some social media handles recycling old election violence videos and news with the intention to cause mischief and undermine the peaceful atmosphere. There was also news that the candidate for the Young Progressives Party (YPP) stepped down from contesting the election as well as another news making the rounds that the NYSC rejected a N10 million bribe from the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate – both were fact checked and found to be false.
Conduct of party agents and vote buying: Generally, there was a presence of party agents mostly of APGA, APC and Labour Party in many of the PUs visited. Situation Room observers also reported a widespread vote buying in this election, with party agents procuring votes with money ranging from N5,000.00 to N30,000.00, and wrappers, without any intervention from the security personnel. This continues to represent a sad trend in Nigeria’s elections. A party agent was observed campaigning and canvassing for votes at the PU005 Obodo Oji, Owerre Ezukala II of Orumba South LGA contrary to the provisions of the Electoral Act.
Conclusion:
As voting time comes to an end at 2:30pm, Situation Room calls on INEC to effectively manage the vote tabulation and result collation processes while ensuring every vote counts in this election. Situation Room will continue to follow up with the process until conclusion of the election and declaration of results.
SIGNED:
Yunusa Z. Ya’u
Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
Mimidoo Achakpa
Co-Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
Franklin Oloniju
Co-Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room
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The Situation Room is made up of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) working in support of credible elections and governance in Nigeria numbering more than seventy. The Steering Committee is made up of: Action Aid Nigeria, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability (formerly Alliance for Credible Elections, Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC), Kimpact Development Initiative, Democratic Action Group (DAG), Women’s Rights to Education Programme, Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), DIG Ebonyi, Life and Peace Development Organization (LAPDO), Rural Youth Initiative, Challenged Parenthood Initiative (CPI), Centre for Health and Development in Africa (CHEDA) and Josemaria Escriva Foundation.
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