INEC declares 99% readiness for Anambra Governorship Poll
…Oketola named CPS
ABUJA: Less than two weeks to the November 8, 2025 Anambra Governorship Election, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC said it is 99 percent ready to conduct a credible poll across the state.
A high-level delegation from the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, led by the National Commissioner for Election Planning and Monitoring, Prof. Rhoda Gumus, concluded a weeklong readiness assessment tour across Anambra, inspecting facilities, meeting stakeholders, and reviewing field operations.
Other members of the delegation included National Commissioners Mr. Sam Olumekun, Dr Kenneth Ukeagu and Dr Baba Bila.
INEC in its bulletin on Monday said the team arrived Awka on October 21, 2025, and immediately began engagements with the Resident Electoral Commissioner REC for Anambra State, Dr Queen Elizabeth Agwu, and the State Management Team.
Prof. Gumus said the visit was designed to ensure that every logistical, security and operational requirement for the election was in place and functional.
Field visits took the delegation to several local government areas, including Dunukofia and Oyi, where deployment of non-sensitive materials was ongoing. The team also monitored the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at registration areas, with Prof. Gumus assuring voters that the process was inclusive and efficient.
“This process is designed to be smooth and inclusive. No voter will be left behind,” she said.
During a meeting with the 21 Electoral Officers EOs in the state, discussions focused on logistics, activation of Registration Area Centres RACs, and timely deployment of personnel and materials. Dr Ukeagu charged the officers to maintain strict accountability.
“Every vehicle, every ballot, every form must be properly tracked,” he emphasized.
The team also monitored the Mock Accreditation Exercise in Anambra East, where the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System BVAS devices were successfully tested.
Dr Ukeagu expressed confidence in the system, declaring that the Commission was “99% ready” for the election.
“Every component – logistics, security, voter sensitization and material tracking – is in place. Only the final deployment of staff and materials remains,” he said.
Chairman of the Electoral Operations and Logistics Committee, Dr Baba Bila, also reminded officers of their responsibilities. “The Commission has given you trust; you must return that trust with integrity”, he said.
Similarly, Mr Olumekun urged officials to conduct themselves professionally, adding that transparency remained the Commission’s strongest asset.
As part of the tour, the delegation met with leaders of transport unions – NURTW, NARTO, and RTEAN – who play vital roles in election-day logistics. Dr Ukeagu warned against any breach of their Memorandum of Understanding with INEC.
“This is not business as usual. Stick to the agreed arrangements. Payment will be prompt, but accountability must be total,” he cautioned.
A high-level meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security ICCES also held, where security chiefs assured of coordinated deployments to ensure a peaceful election.
Dr. Agwu commended the synergy among security agencies, noting that it was the foundation of election integrity.
“We enter this election with a peaceful state of mind. The cooperation we see today gives us confidence that materials, personnel, and voters will move freely and safely on election day,” she said.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has approved the appointment of Mr Adedayo Eriye Oketola as his Chief Press Secretary CPS.
The appointment, conveyed in a letter signed by the Secretary to the Commission, Mrs. Rose Oriaran-Anthony, on October 24, 2025, takes immediate effect.
Mr Oketola, a multi-award-winning journalist with nearly two decades of experience, previously served as Editor of The Punch Newspaper.
Congratulating him on the appointment, Mrs. Oriaran-Anthony urged him to uphold the Commission’s values of professionalism, integrity, and transparency in discharging his duties.