…as Yiaga Africa warns of low turnout
Independent National Electoral Commission says it has completed extensive preparations for Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State, with thousands of trained personnel, essential voting materials, and multi-layered security arrangements in place.
INEC’s bulletin disclosed that the electoral body has trained and deployed 24,000 ad-hoc staff, while 114 domestic and international observer groups and 76 accredited media organisations will monitor the exercise.
INEC also disclosed that 6,879 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines have been configured for the election. Data from the commission shows that there are 5,718 polling units and 183 voting points across the 21 local government areas of the state, with 45 Registration Area Centres (RACs) established for logistical support.
Similarly, over 3,000 vehicles and 83 boats have been secured to facilitate the movement of personnel and materials, especially to hard-to-reach riverine communities. The commission also reported a 98 per cent functionality rate for the BVAS devices after testing.
Anambra has a total of 2,802,790 registered voters, with a Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rate of 63.9 per cent, according to INEC. Sixteen political parties are fielding candidates in the election.
Meanwhile, Yiaga Africa has warned that voter turnout may fall below 20 per cent due to growing apathy and declining public trust in the electoral process.
In a pre-election statement issued on Thursday and signed by Asmau Maikudi, chair of the 2025 Anambra Election Observation Mission, and Samson Itodo, executive director of Yiaga Africa, the organisation said the political atmosphere in the state “has remained relatively passive, with voters almost disinterested in participating in voter engagement activities.”
The group noted that “narratives indicating a lack of trust in the electoral process and outcomes are prevalent across different communities in the state,” adding that young people appear the least interested.
The organisation warned that if this trend continues, it could further undermine electoral legitimacy.
“Given this trend, and Anambra’s historical record of low voter turnout, there are serious concerns that the 2025 governorship election may witness turnout rates below 20 per cent, further weakening electoral legitimacy,” Yiaga Africa stated.
It urged all stakeholders, including political parties, INEC, and security agencies, to take urgent steps to rebuild public confidence and encourage voter participation.
