A European Union observation group has expressed concern over security breaches, poor gender inclusion, and other governance challenges ahead of the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State.

The contest for the votes of about 2.8 million registered voters has intensified among four major contenders, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), out of the 16 political parties participating in the poll.

The concerns were highlighted on Thursday in Abuja during the public presentation of the Anambra Governorship Pre-Election Report organised by the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) II.

Presenting the findings, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Lanre Arogundade, said the research, conducted between June and September 2025, revealed serious security gaps, including the alleged misuse of vigilante groups for attacks on candidates, movement restrictions likely to suppress voter turnout, and inadequate coordination of security deployments and early warning responses.

The report identified specific risks across the three senatorial zones of the state: Anambra South was linked to cult violence, kidnappings, and ballot snatching; Anambra Central to disinformation, elite power struggles, and youth gang mobilisation; while Anambra North faced persistent land and resource conflicts as well as flood disruptions.

It also expressed concern over the limited participation of women, noting that only two out of the 16 candidates contesting the election are female. The report cited ongoing online abuse, discriminatory party structures, safety threats, and gender-blind media coverage as major barriers to women’s inclusion.

Similarly, the report raised issues about the state’s media environment, pointing to instances of harassment of journalists, inadequate support when equipment is seized, and general voter apathy.

On electoral preparations, the EU group acknowledged progress made by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), including the registration of over 168,000 new voters, mostly women and youths. It, however, noted that the late opening of polling units, which stood at about 73 percent in past elections, remains a concern.

The report also commended the 86 percent Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection rate among persons with disabilities (PWDs), describing it as “a measure of progress.” It called for further improvement through the provision of assistive devices such as braille guides, magnifying glasses, sign language interpreters, and large-print materials, as well as wider distribution of Form EC40H across rural areas.

“Against this background, and realising that off-cycle elections could serve as crucial barometers for gauging the readiness of election stakeholders for the next general elections in 2027,” Arogundade said, “there is a need for stronger collaboration among security agencies, INEC, the media, and civil society to safeguard the credibility of the process.” (Daily Trust)