By Ayo Kehinde
This Saturday, November 8, eligible voters in Anambra state will file out to polling units to elect a new state governor.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), a total of 2,802,790 eligible voters are expected to cast their ballots across 5,718 polling units in 21 local government areas across the State.
Sixteen (16) candidates, including two females from 16 political parties, are contesting for the election to wrest power from the incumbent, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is also seeking reelection on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
The other candidates are Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP), Echezona Oti of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Ms. Chioma Ifemeludike of the African Action Congress (AAC), Jeff Nweke of Action Alliance (AA), Charles Onyeze of Accord Party (AP), Geoff Onyejegbu of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Also cleared for the election are Chukwudubem Nweke of the Action Peoples Party (APP), Jerry Okeke of the Boot Party (BP), Ndidi Olieh of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Martin Ugwoji of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), and Vincent Chukwurah of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
The electoral umpire’s new chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has assured residents and stakeholders of INEC readiness for the poll, saying “the commission, in collaboration with security and law enforcement agencies, has put comprehensive security measures in place to safeguard voters, INEC staff, observers, and media personnel across all polling and collation centres.”
As first governorship election since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu in October 2025, Prof. Amupitan has reaffirmed the commission’s readiness to deliver a credible, transparent, and peaceful election.
Also, the Nigerian Police Force has assured adequate security as part of efforts to prevent violence during the election, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, approved the deployment of 45,000 policemen for the exercise.
On his part, the Commissioner in charge of Anambra election planning, monitoring, and evaluation, CP Abayomi Shogunle, also assured residents of a peaceful exercise across all flashpoints in the state.
Anambra, in March 2006, became a state where off-cycle elections would be conducted due to the Appeal Court’s judgement, which sacked the former governor, Chief Chris Ngige of the Peoples Democratic Party, and ushered in Peter Obi of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, a few years after the 2003 general elections. This development distorted the electoral timetable, thus making Anambra’s governorship poll to be held on a different date, separate from the general election.
