As the November 8 Anambra State Governorship Election draws closer, Nigeria’s electoral body and security chiefs have declared a full-scale mobilisation of forces, logistics, and intelligence to guarantee the most secure and credible election in the state’s history.
At a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security in Abuja, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Office of the National Security Adviser, NSA, and the Nigeria Police Force, NPF unveiled a multi-layered election security and logistics blueprint combining massive deployments, zero-tolerance directives, and a united front against vote buying and violence during the excersice.
The Commission’s Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, making his debut ICCES appearance, announced the deployment of 24,000 ad-hoc and permanent Staff across 5,718 polling units, with 200 buses and 83 boats hired to move materials and officials across difficult terrains.
Following a mock accreditation exercise using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, Amupitan confirmed that technical issues identified have been addressed to ensure seamless electronic transmission of results.
To prevent disenfranchisement, INEC also extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs across 326 wards until Sunday, November 2, 2025.
He said INEC had learned from the Ondo State 2024 Governorship Election, using it as a coordination model but with stronger execution and tighter logistics.
The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, who was represented by Hassan Abdullahi, reaffirmed President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the strategic mobilisation of security forces to guarantee peaceful polls, and stressed that disruptive elements or desperate politicians who attempt to undermine the process will be in decisively dealt with.
Ribadu disclosed that the Federal Government had activated enhanced surveillance, expanded intelligence gathering, and targeted pre-emptive operations to neutralize potential threats before election day as he also confirmed that Office of the National Security Adviser is engaging political party Leaders and local stakeholders to enforce non-violence pacts and civic responsibility.
Ribadu says all security operations would be under a unified command, led by the Nigeria Police Force, working in close synergy with the military, DSS, NSCDC, and other federal agencies.
Taking the operational lead, the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, announced the deployment of 45,000 police personnel to Anambra as he says the Nigerian Police Force will provide airtight protection across every polling unit, entry, and exit point in the state.
Egbetokun added that only federal security agencies represented in ICCES would participate in the election, warning that vigilante groups and state-backed security outfits are barred from any role in the process.
All parties pledged to deliver free, fair, and credible election that reflects the will of the people.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
