INEC ASSURED POLITICAL PARTIES OF FREE AND FAIR ELECTIONS
By Rilwan Musa Gawu
The Supervising National Commissioner in charge of the Anambra State, Dr. Ken Ukeagu, assured political parties, security agencies, civil society groups, and citizens that the Commission was fully prepared for the crucial exercise.
According to Dr. Ukeagu, the meeting was part of INEC’s tradition of engaging openly with stakeholders to promote inclusivity and transparency in the electoral process. He said the gathering was a vital part of the final preparations for the election and embodied INEC’s commitment to inclusivity, transparency, and collaboration to ensure every voice is heard as the Commission discharges its constitutional responsibilities.
Providing an update on the Commission’s readiness, Dr. Ukeagu revealed that 24,000 ad-hoc personnel would be deployed for the exercise, with training concluding on Tuesday, November 4, 2025. He added that configuration of 6,879 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices had been completed, including backup units for seamless operation. Mock accreditation exercises conducted across the three senatorial districts, he said, confirmed the functionality of both BVAS and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal, assuring that all systems were ready.
The Commissioner also disclosed that logistics arrangements were in their final stages, with about 3,000 vehicles, 6,520 motorcycles, and 83 boats to be used for the movement of personnel and materials across the 21 Local Government Areas, 326 Registration Areas, and 5,718 Polling Units in the state. He noted that Registration Area Centres (RACs) would be activated by noon on Friday, November 7, while non-sensitive materials had already been delivered to LGAs. Sensitive materials, he said, would arrive on Thursday, November 6, in the presence of stakeholders.
Highlighting the importance of voter integrity, Dr. Ukeagu stated that following the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise concluded in July 2025, 146,353 valid new registrants were added after a biometric cleanup that removed 27,817 duplicates, bringing the total number of registered voters in Anambra to 2,802,790. He revealed that 63.9% of voters had collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), prompting INEC to extend the collection deadline to November 2, 2025. He emphasized that only voters with their PVCs would be accredited to vote, adding, “No PVC, no voting.”
The Supervising Commissioner highlighted several inclusivity measures, including the deployment of assistive voting devices for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) and sign language interpreters at 25 polling units. He also reiterated that priority voting would be granted to the elderly, pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
In terms of transparency, INEC has accredited 76 media organizations with 540 personnel, 114 domestic observer groups, and seven international observer missions to monitor the poll. Additionally, 67,152 party agents will be on ground across polling units and collation centers to ensure openness and accountability. Dr. Ukeagu noted that their collective presence reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to openness, scrutiny, and accountability, ensuring that the outcome truly reflects the will of Ndi Anambra. He added that the Commission’s Zoom Situation Room at both the national and state levels would be active throughout the election, allowing citizens to report issues through toll-free lines and INEC’s social media platforms.
Dr. Ukeagu assured the electorate that INEC would remain neutral and uphold the principles of fairness. He said the Commission would neither act in favour nor against any political party or candidate, stressing that the guiding principle remains adherence to the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and the Commission’s regulations and guidelines. He expressed appreciation to all stakeholders for their cooperation & urged continued support to ensure a peaceful and successful election.
