An election monitoring group, Yiaga Africa, said no fewer than 687 observers would be deployed to ensure effective monitoring of the Anambra State governorship election on Saturday.
The Chair of the 2025 Anambra Election Mission, Yiaga Africa, Dr Asmau Maikudi, disclosed this in its pre-election press conference in Awka, on Thursday.
Maikudi said areas to focus on during the monitoring exercise include the Independent National Electoral Commission’s preparatory activities, election logistics management, election security, low voter enthusiasm and anticipated low voter turnout.
She added that efficiency test, integrity test and impartiality tests are the hallmarks of the election.
The pre-election press conference in Awka, titled “Anambra 2025: Efficiency, integrity and impartiality will make or mar the election”, was jointly addressed by Maikudi and the Executive Director, Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo.
According to Maikudi, Yiaga Africa has identified six local government areas, Orumba North, Orumba South, Ogbaru, Ihiala, Nnewi South and Aguata, as areas with possible security threats.
According to her, a pre-election observation highlighted that the mentioned LGAs are considered “potential hotspots”, with some communities under threat from non-state armed groups that would require more deliberate and intelligence-informed deployment of security personnel.
She said, “Yiaga Africa is deploying ‘Watching the Vote’ as part of a broader civil society election observation hub supported by the European Union under the EU Support for Democratic Governance Project. The Election Observation Hub comprises organisations such as Yiaga Africa, The Kukah Centre, International Press Centre, Centre for Media and Society, Nigeria Women Trust Fund, ElectHER and TAF Africa.
“Cumulatively, the Hub is deploying 687 observers across Anambra State, working in coordinated clusters that cover election integrity and results verification, disability inclusion, gender participation, peacebuilding, media and misinformation tracking, logistics observation, and real-time data reporting.
“Ahead of the governorship election, the Election Observation Hub issued a Joint Pre-Election Assessment Report. The report analysed the political climate, security risks, media environment, and levels of gender and disability inclusion and offered 66 actionable recommendations to strengthen electoral credibility, voter access, and institutional preparedness.
“Notably, the pre-election observation highlighted possible security threats in Orumba North, Orumba South, Ogbaru, Thiala, Newi South and Aguata.
“These LGAs are considered potential hotspots, with some communities under threat from non-state armed groups that would require more deliberate and intelligence-informed deployment.
“The pre-election environment has remained relatively passive, with voters almost disinterested in participating in voter engagement activities. Specifically, narratives indicating the lack of trust in the electoral process and electoral outcomes are prevalent across different communities in the state.
“This is further observed with the low number of new registrants and the rate of Permanent voters’ card collection. Yiaga Africa also observed in its engagement across the LGAs that a significant number of young people within the voting age were disinterested in registering as voters or participating in the election.”
According to Maikudi, given this trend and Anambra’s historical record of low voter turnout, there are serious concerns that the election may witness turnout rates below 20 per cent, further weakening electoral legitimacy.
She further outlined three critical benchmarks that will shape the credibility of the electoral process, such as efficiency of logistics, integrity in electoral procedures, and impartiality of security agencies.
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