Going by the assurances of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), all is set for a hitch-free and credible election on Saturday, November 8, 2025, in Anambra state.

Assurances came on Tuesday, last week, when the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Sam Olumekun, addressed Media Executives, Reporters, Producers, and On-Air Personalities in Awka.

While counting on media practitioners for their cooperation, he announced that the Commission was fully prepared for the forthcoming gubernatorial election in Anambra State, adding that necessary steps had been taken to achieve this.

He said: “Permit me to assure you that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is fully prepared for the upcoming Anambra Governorship Election on November 8, 2025.

“In line with our commitment to credible and inclusive elections, the Commission has been implementing a comprehensive plan of activities covering logistics, technology, training, stakeholder engagement, and security coordination.

“The Commission’s level of readiness is both practical and measurable. All non-sensitive materials have been delivered to the state, while sensitive materials will arrive in due course under strict security arrangements.”

Also speaking, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Anambra State, Dr. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, announced confidently that she was not under pressure to deliver any candidate and that all contestants had a level playing ground.

She promised to carry the media along in the conduct of the election, adding that other necessary enablers would be provided for effective reportage of the election.

This is in addition to the assurances from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu when he told the newly appointed INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, that the Anambra off-cycle election would be his litmus test. This appears reassuring enough except that in recent times INEC had become like a jungle – you never would know from where a wild animal could emerge.

Prof. Amupitan himself has assured Nigerians of his readiness for the exercise, giving his assurances during his interactions with inter-agency consultative committee on election security at INEC headquarters when he assured that the Commission had concluded a comprehensive readiness assessment across Anambra State, stressing that he was “committed to a free, fair, and credible election”.

At that occasion, he gave a breakdown of logistical arrangements made so far: 200 buses and 83 boats to ensure a seamless transportation of election officials and materials.

At least, one of the governorship candidates, John Chuma Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has bought into the assurances of the INEC boss. Nwosu, in a statement said as a new helmsman, Amupitan would strive to begin on a note of credibility.

In Anambra state, the Commissioner of Police, indefatigable Ikioye Orutugu has been holding stakeholders meetings with various groups including the media to plead for understanding and cooperation for the success of the election. He has been training policemen on electoral duties. His boss IGP Kayode Egbetokun has also concluded arrangements to deploy 45,000 police officers to the state for election duties.

Meanwhile, Anambra State has a voter population of 2,802,790 spread across 5718 polling units in 326 wards. It would be recalled that INEC extended collection of permanent voter cards (pvcs) from October 29 to November 2 following reports that only 63.9% of registered voters had collected their pvcs.

As tension mounts over the election 16 political parties fielded candidates, although it is yet to be seen if all of them will contest in the end. Of the number, 14 are males and two females. As noted earlier, most of the unwieldy are just there as spectators which will before the seek affiliation with stronger political parties. The major parties in contention are: the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), the All Progressives Congress (APC), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Young Progressive Party (YPP) and Labour Party (LP). As would be expected in a contest of this nature, the ruling party, with its candidate Prof. Charles Chukwuma Soludo is the target of attacks for his actions and inactions. Soludo, in the last three years plus, has tried to prove himself but his co-contestants believe he has not done enough. Before he came into office about one- third of the state was under the control of hoodlums, styled unknown gunmen. Today Anambra has seen a lot of freedom. Although the Monday sit-at-home is still observed, it is not because of insecurity but because it has become entrenched. Soludo has also embarked on infrastructure development having constructed many roads; embarked on job creation and youth empowerment and so on. However, the negative activities of tax and road traffic management agents seem to take the shine off the positive side. Soludo is running with his deputy, Dr. Onyekachukwu Ibezim.

A major contender Is the pair of APC candidates Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu and Senator Uche Ekwunife as his deputy. Ukachukwu is not new to Anambra politics having contested in some past elections. He has the resources for the election, coupled with his running mate Senator Ekwunife who is one of the most credible politicians in Anambra state. Ekwunife has represented her people in both chambers at the National Assembly. She lost re-election to the senate in 2023 to Senator Victor Umeh. Recently there have been rumours of APC chieftains trying to lure the President to take interest in the November 8 governorship election. For reasons not well known former Presidents of Nigeria have always given INEC a hand in the conduct of Anambra such that since the time of Mr. Peter Obi, no APGA governor has lost election.

Then enter Mr. John Chuma Nwosu and his running mate Chief Ndubisi Nwobu. Nwosu, a strategist and ICT guru was in charge of Peter Obi’s ICT in the 2023 presidential election. His running mate Nwobu was state chairman of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for many years. This is the first time ADC is coming on strong in Anambra politics and it is yet to be seen how things will turn out. The candidates of YPP Chief Paul Chukwuma and his running mate Hon. Uzuegbunam Okagbue are other strong candidates in the race. Chukwuma held the ace in APC but was edged out after party primaries and he left for YPP and replaced Senator Ifeanyi Uba following Uba’s sudden death. YPP is not particularly strong in Anambra state. So, the party rests on the popularity of Chukwuma to blossom. Although it had a Senator in late Ifeanyi Uba, it was always an uphill task to secure that seat.

Labour Party candidate Chief George Moghalu and his running mate, Mrs. Ifeoma Veronica Okaro, are also making a strong showing followed by Ozo Jeff Nweke of Action Alliance (AA) and his running mate. A security guru Ozo Nweke is making waves

Nevertheless, Soludo has an edge. Apart from being an incumbent, he is favoured by the unwritten law of rotation instituted by Mr. Peter Obi at the end of his second term in office. The unwritten law became necessary when it was obvious that without it, some sections of the state will not taste executive power. Before Obi, Dr. Chukwuemeka Ezeife and Dr. Chinwoke Mbadinuju, both from Anambra South Senatorial zone had been governors; Dr. Chris Ngige and Peter Obi both from Anambra Central took their turn, but Anambra North was yet to smell executive power. So, Obi surreptitiously sponsored an agitation that convinced Anambra voters that it was necessary that power rotates to avoid cheating and that it was the turn of Anambra North to take power, hence the election of Chief Willie Obiano who served two terms.

Now, the strong contenders to the office: Ukachukwu of APC, Nwosu of ADC and Moghalu of LP are from Anambra South like Soludo, while Chukwuma of YPP is from Anambra North. The argument that they will serve for just a term has not convinced many voters, which is why Nwosu had to swear to an affidavit in the court promising to serve just one term.

But Soludo has made the power rotation a serious campaign issue insisting that “after my tenure I will ensure that I hand over power to someone from Anambra Central” whose turn it is to serve after Soludo’s second tenure.

As an incumbent, Soludo enjoys the goodwill of many people. It is doubtful, however, if he enjoys a measure of goodwill as his predecessors some of whom won in all the 21 local councils of the state. That is yet to be seen. Nevertheless, donations and endorsements he enjoys during his campaigns make his opponents shiver. Donations during campaigns for a second tenure seem to be a new phenomenon in Anambra politics. Some of his critics see them as fraud while his aides hail them as new entry into Anambra politics.

His commissioner of Information, Dr. Law Mefor, said crowding “crowdfunding is Soludo’s other disruptive change”. In reaction to criticisms over the donations, Mefor wrote: “Prof Chukwuma Soludo is indeed a disruptive and transformational leader. His disruptive change has now reached how campaigns ought to be funded. The Anambra State gubernatorial campaign is showcasing a startling new phenomenon in the annals of Nigerian elections. What hitherto was the trend was for the governorship candidate to offer money to groups and communities as he visits in search of votes. But the campaign of Governor Chukwuma Charles Soludo, CFR, is different! The various communities in Anambra State have continued to raise millions of Naira for the campaign of the “Solution Governor”, who they have amiably given the title of “Oluatuegwu”, which translates to “Man wey no dey fear work”, In the pidgin English lingo of the people”.

The campaign for votes has been intense but there has not been any report of significant violence. Last week there was a report that canopies arranged by the APC for campaign in a primary school were pulled down by the Orumba South Mayor, Hon. Shedrack Azubuike. Hon. Azubuike, however, defended his action. He explained that it is the policy of government which barred political parties or religious organisations or other social organisations to gather within the premises of public or private schools within the area during official hours. (Sunday Independent)