No fewer than 2.8 million registered voters in Anambra State are voting to elect a governor who will lead the state for the next four years.
The election is the first to be conducted under the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, who assumed office on October 23.
INEC said “a total of 2,802,790 voters are eligible to participate, including 140,370 newly registered voters across 326 wards, while 98.8 per cent of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected.”
The Commission confirmed that “5,718 polling units would open at 8:30 a.m., with 6,879 BVAS devices configured and backed up. Over 24,000 ad hoc staff have also been deployed for the exercise.”
The main contenders are Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Dr George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP), John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and Sir Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP). Sixteen political parties are participating in the poll, including two fielding female candidates.
INEC officials were seen early Saturday morning arriving at polling units across Awka, the state capital. At Agu Awka, polling units 008 and 022 at Aroma, Awka South Local Government Area, officials pasted the register of eligible voters as excited voters gathered in anticipation of the commencement of accreditation and voting.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Dr Queen Awgu, confirmed that “sensitive and non-sensitive materials had been distributed to all local government areas under tight security from the Central Bank of Nigeria office in Awka.”
She assured that all materials, including BVAS and result forms, were dispatched to ensure the election starts on time.
Meanwhile, the Anambra State Police Command had ordered a total restriction of vehicular movement from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m. to ensure public safety and prevent the movement of political thugs. Only INEC officials, accredited journalists, election observers, and emergency workers are exempted.
The Commissioner of Police in charge of the election, Abayomi Shogunle, disclosed that 55,000 security personnel have been deployed to secure polling centres and protect voters. A Deputy Inspector General of Police, Benjamin Okolo, has also been assigned as the supervisory officer for all security operations in the state.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Amupitan, said ,”four National Commissioners and ten Resident Electoral Commissioners from across the country are on ground to supervise the exercise.”
He reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to a transparent and credible process, warning that anyone involved in violence, vote-buying or ballot interference would face the law.
Civil society organisations, including the Centre for Transparency Advocacy (CTA) and the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), have set up situation rooms and deployed over 200 trained observers to monitor the process.
The atmosphere in major cities such as Awka, Onitsha, Nnewi and other parts, remains calm as voters turn out early, while security operatives continue to maintain order around polling centres.