By Chuks Eke
As part of preparations to ensure accurate monitoring of the entire process during the November 8 gubernatorial election in Anambra state, the Yiaga Africa, one of the foreign election observers, seven other foreign observers and Civil Society Organizations, CSOs have lined up approximately 687 personnel to ensure effective monitoring of Saturdays exercise.
Among the areas to focus during the Monitoring exercise, according to the observers, include INEC’s preparatory activities, Election Logistics Management, Election Security, Low Voter Enthusiasm and Anticipated Low Voter Turnout, adding that efficiency test, integrity test and Impartiality tests are the hallmarks of the 2025 Anambra Governorship election.
In a pre-election press briefing on 2025 Anambra state Governorship election titled: “Anambra 2025: Efficiency, Integrity and Impartiality will make or mar the election”, jointly signed by Dr. Asmau Maikudi, its Chairman of 2025 Anambra Election Mission and Samson Itodo, its Executive Director, Yiaga Africa disclosed that efforts are being intensified in collaboration with other foreign observers to churn out credible and transparent position of how the election went.
According to the statement, “Yiaga Africa is deploying personnel to watch the votes as part of a broader civil society election observation hub supported by the European Union, EU under the EU support for Democratic Governance Project, EU-SDGN. The election observation hub comprises organizations such as Yiaga Africa, the Kukah Centre, International Press Centre, ILC, Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO, Nigeria Women Trust Fund, NWTF, ElectHER and TAF Africa”.
“Cumulatively, the statement continued, the hub is deploying 687 observers across Anambra state, working in coordinated clusters that cover election integrity and results verification, disability inclusion, gender participation, peace building, media and misinformation tracking, logistics observation and real-time data reporting”.
The statement further disclosed that the election observation hub had earlier issued a joint pre-election assessment report which analyzed the political climate, security risks, media environment and level of gender and disability inclusion and offered 66 actionable recommendations to strengthen electoral credibility, voter access and institutional preparedness.
Quoting the election umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC as having said that a total of 2,802,790 registered voters are eligible to participate, including 140,370 newly registered voters across the 326 wards to take place in 5,718 polling units, Yiaga Africa therefore urged all stakeholders to commit to a peaceful, fair, inclusive and credible electoral process, even as it commended the 18 governorship candidates for signing the peace accord and the national peace committee led by General Abdulsalami Abubakar for facilitating the important agreement.
