Onyekachi Eze 
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified voter apathy as the greatest challenge ahead of the November 8 Anambra State governorship election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, stated this during a press conference in Abuja on Thursday, noting that although Anambra has 2,802,790 registered voters, low turnout has historically undermined the state’s electoral outcomes.
He expressed concern over the consistent decline in voter participation, saying:
“In 2013, turnout was 25.5 percent, representing 413,005 valid votes out of 1,770,125 registered voters. In 2017, it dropped further to 20.1 percent (422,314 valid votes from 2,364,134 registered), and in 2021, only 10.27 percent of voters participated (241,523 valid votes from 2,466,638 registered).”
Prof. Amupitan stressed that democracy thrives only when citizens actively choose their leaders, urging Anambra residents to “come out and exercise their civic right without fear or favour.”
He disclosed that after the final clean-up, Anambra now has 2,802,790 eligible voters, with 98.8 percent of them having collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs)—a development he attributed to the extension of the collection period from October 29 to November 2.
“This is a significant collection rate for any election in Nigeria. All uncollected cards will now be safely retrieved and stored at the Central Bank of Nigeria until after the election,” he said.
Prof. Amupitan also announced a partnership with TAFAfrica to deploy sign language interpreters across polling units in the state, enabling 3,456 registered voters with disabilities to participate fully.
He confirmed that all 5,718 polling units will open simultaneously at 8:30 a.m., with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed for accreditation and real-time result upload to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
“Over 24,000 trained ad hoc personnel are on standby, with 6,879 BVAS devices tested, configured, and backed up. More than 3,000 vehicles and 83 boats, supported by security escorts, will ensure timely movement, especially to riverine communities,” he said.
The INEC Chairman also disclosed that voters in six registration areas of Ihiala Local Government Area, affected by security challenges, will cast their ballots at the local government secretariat.
He assured that the commission is fully prepared to conduct a credible, inclusive, and transparent election, warning that anyone involved in violence, vote-buying, intimidation, or ballot interference would face swift legal consequences.
“And to the voters, you have collected your PVCs, security will protect you, and INEC is ready for you. So, come out on Saturday, November 8, vote freely, vote peacefully, vote proudly,” he urged.
