687 Monitors Deployed for Anambra Governorship Poll — Yiaga Africa

An election monitoring organisation, Yiaga Africa, has announced the deployment of 687 observers to ensure credible conduct of the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for Saturday.

Chairperson of the 2025 Anambra Election Mission, Dr. Asmau Maikudi, disclosed this during the group’s pre-election press conference held in Awka on Thursday.

Maikudi said the observers would focus on critical areas such as the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) preparedness, logistics management, election security, voter turnout, and the general atmosphere of public confidence in the process.

According to her, Yiaga Africa’s observation would also assess the efficiency, integrity, and impartiality of stakeholders in the exercise, which she described as key determinants of electoral credibility.

She said:

“Yiaga Africa is deploying ‘Watching the Vote’ under a broader civil society observation hub supported by the European Union (EU) through the EU Support for Democratic Governance Project. The hub comprises Yiaga Africa, The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre, Centre for Media and Society, Nigeria Women Trust Fund, ElectHER, and TAF Africa.”

Maikudi listed Orumba North, Orumba South, Ogbaru, Ihiala, Nnewi South, and Aguata Local Government Areas as potential flashpoints that may require “deliberate and intelligence-led security deployment.”

She noted that some of the listed communities remain under the threat of non-state armed groups, posing risks to smooth electoral operations.

The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, who also addressed the briefing, said the organisation’s Election Observation Hub has conducted a pre-election assessment that analysed the political climate, media environment, gender participation, and security risks ahead of the poll.

The report, according to him, offered 66 actionable recommendations aimed at strengthening voter access, institutional readiness, and election transparency.

Yiaga Africa also expressed concern over low voter enthusiasm, warning that the governorship poll could record a turnout of less than 20 percent, in line with Anambra’s historical pattern of voter apathy.

Maikudi said:

“The pre-election environment has been largely passive, with narratives of distrust in the electoral process dominating public conversations. The low number of new registrants and the slow pace of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection are indications of this waning confidence.”

She further emphasised that logistics efficiency, integrity in electoral procedures, and the impartiality of security agencies would determine the overall credibility of the Anambra governorship election.