2.8 Million Voters Cleared for Anambra Governorship Election as 171 Groups Seek Party Registration

By Ameh Gabriel

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has released the final register of voters for the Anambra State Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.

According to a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Sam Olumekun, a total of 2,802,790 voters have been cleared to participate in the polls.

The figure follows the recent voter registration exercise in which 168,187 citizens registered across the state’s 326 wards between July 8 and 20, 2025. After the register was displayed for claims and objections and subjected to scrutiny through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), 27,817 cases of multiple registration were expunged.

This left 140,370 valid new registrants, alongside 5,983 approved transfers, bringing the total addition to 146,353. Before the exercise, Anambra had 2,656,437 registered voters.

By Local Government breakdown, Idemili North tops the chart with 246,318 voters (8.79%), followed by Awka South with 216,611 (7.73%) and Ogbaru with 188,016 (6.71%). Dunukofia and Anambra West recorded the lowest with 83,580 and 71,332 voters, respectively.

Mr. Olumekun assured that all new PVCs will be ready for collection ahead of the governorship election, now 63 days away.

On political party registration, INEC disclosed that 19 new letters of intent were received, raising the number of associations seeking registration to 171. The Commission urged applicants to maintain consistency in their submissions, warning that frequent changes in acronyms, logos, or leadership structures delay processing.

INEC Calls for Stronger Collaboration Against Disinformation in West Africa, Sahel

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has called for greater regional collaboration to combat disinformation, describing it as a serious threat to democracy.

Speaking at the UNESCO-organised Conference on Information Integrity in West Africa and the Sahel in Praia, Cape Verde, Prof. Yakubu represented by his Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi stated that INEC’s open-door policy with political parties, CSOs, and the media has helped build confidence in the electoral process.

He, however, noted that despite the Cybercrime Act and other efforts, disinformation continues to spread, sometimes worsened by CSOs aligning with partisan interests.

Prof. Yakubu urged digital platforms to strengthen internal policies against fake news while reaffirming INEC’s commitment to transparency.

In his opening address, Cape Verde’s Deputy Secretary of State to the Prime Minister, Dr. Lourenço Lopes, said disinformation is a global challenge that requires collective effort, digital literacy, and stronger governance from online platforms.

The INEC delegation to the conference included Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi (Director, Voter Education and Publicity), Mr. Lawrence Bayode (Director, ICT), and Mrs. Patience Daso-George (Principal Administrative Officer, Voter Education and Publicity).

INEC Chairman Inaugurates Staff Consultative Committee, Reaffirms Commitment to Welfare

INEC has taken another step to improve staff welfare with the inauguration of the Joint Consultative Committee (JCC) in Abuja on Thursday.

Chairman of the Commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the platform will enhance dialogue between staff and management on welfare issues. He stressed that staff salaries remain a top priority.

“No matter how small, salaries must be paid regularly. We have never gone beyond the 20th of any month without paying,” he assured.

INEC Secretary, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, described the event as a milestone in the Commission’s history, offering staff a structured forum to engage management.

Certificates of Return were issued to elected executives, while runners-up received Certificates of Participation. Representing the Minister of Labour and Employment, Prince Donald Kehinde Fakunle praised INEC for conducting a transparent JCC election.

Speaking on behalf of the executives, the new JCC President, Mrs. Vera O. Awoh, pledged to foster a harmonious workplace and support staff in discharging their duties.

Other elected officials include: