By Mercy Peter
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), political parties, and security agencies to ensure a peaceful, transparent, and credible governorship election in Anambra State.
In a preliminary statement issued in Awka on Friday, November 7, 2025, the coalition of more than 70 civil society organisations said it had convened to observe the election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, across 5,718 polling units in 326 wards spanning the state’s 21 local government areas.
The coalition noted that the election marks the first major test for the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, who assumed office only weeks ago.
“Given the state’s strategic importance and high stakes politically, credible conduct of this poll will reinforce public trust in the democratic process in the South-East and contribute to deepening democracy in Nigeria,” the group said.
The Situation Room acknowledged INEC’s assurances of readiness, citing the deployment of 24,000 ad-hoc staff, 3,000 vehicles, 83 boats, and 6,879 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices across the state.
However, it urged the Commission to meet key operational benchmarks to ensure public confidence in the process:
Early deployment of personnel and materials to polling units with polls opening by 8:30 a.m. sharp, including in riverine areas.
Efficient use of BVAS devices, ensuring all are functional and fully powered.
Transparent tabulation and collation of results to prevent manipulation.
Real-time transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal.
Inclusivity, particularly the deployment of Sign Language Interpreters for deaf and hard-of-hearing voters in partnership with TAF Africa, a Situation Room member.
“INEC’s role in ensuring and determining the credibility of this election is indisputable,” the coalition stated.
“We will be holding INEC accountable for early deployment, BVAS functionality, and the integrity of collation and transmission.”
The Situation Room also addressed election security, acknowledging the deployment of 45,000 police personnel but questioning the necessity of such a large force.
“While we acknowledge the need to secure the election, the number of security personnel in this election is a clear manifestation of deficits within our democratization process,” the group observed.
It urged the Nigeria Police Force and other agencies to maintain professionalism, avoid voter intimidation, and ensure their hotlines and response units remain active throughout the polls.
“The conduct of security personnel must be professional and not seen as intimidating.
Their presence should guarantee a level playing field, deter vote buying and uphold the sanctity of the results,” it said.
The coalition expressed concern over what it described as a “lack of competitiveness” among several political parties participating in the election.
“A robust and healthy level of competition is fundamental to a thriving democracy,” it said.
“When a political party fields a candidate, it carries the inherent obligation to generate the requisite degree of electoral competitiveness.”
The Situation Room also warned that parties must deploy accredited agents to all polling units and collation centres to ensure transparency.
“Failure to ensure full coverage will demonstrate a dereliction of duty to the democratic system. Such parties lose the moral right to complain about irregularities,” it noted.
The Situation Room welcomed the relatively peaceful pre-election environment, contrasting it with the tense atmosphere that characterised the 2021 governorship election.
It expressed hope that the improved mood would translate into higher voter turnout, noting that Anambra has historically recorded some of the lowest participation rates in Nigeria.
“We hope that this positive ambience will drive voters to the polls to exercise their democratic franchise tomorrow,” the group said, urging citizens to reject vote-selling and other electoral malpractices.
“Selling of votes is illegal and undermines the development of the State,” it warned.
Concluding its statement, the coalition expressed optimism that the 2025 election would mark a positive shift for Nigeria’s democracy.
“Recent elections have been fraught with irregularities, but we remain hopeful that this governorship election will be a departure,” the statement read.
“As we go into the polls tomorrow, we wish Ndi Anambra a peaceful electoral outing.”
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room is a broad coalition of civil society organisations working for credible elections and good governance. Its Steering Committee includes:
ActionAid Nigeria, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC), CLEEN Foundation, Centre for Information Technology and Development (CITAD), Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), Women’s Rights to Education Programme, Joint National Association of Persons with Disability (JONAPWD), and the Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability, among others.
The statement was jointly signed by Yunusa Z. Ya’u (Convener), Mimidoo Achakpa (Co-Convener), and Franklin Oloniju (Co-Convener).
“The eyes of Nigerians and the world are on Anambra,” the coalition concluded. “Let this election show that credible democracy is still possible in Nigeria.”
