For the November 8 Anambra gubernatorial election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has promised political parties that it will adhere to the remaining schedule.
The pledge was made Tuesday in Abuja during INEC’s third regular quarterly consultative meeting with political parties, which was presided over by acting chairperson May Agbamuche-Mbu.
But in the state governorship race, Mrs. Agbamuche-Mbu asked political parties to follow the commission’s planned operations.
According to her, ten of the thirteen important tasks planned for the Anambra election have already been finished by the commission.
The notice of polling, which is scheduled for October 25, the campaign deadline of November 6, and the election date of November 8 are among the unfinished business, she said.
The remaining actions, as specified in the program and timetable of operations, will be scrupulously adhered to by the commission.
“Therefore, political parties are required to remember the campaign deadline and adhere to it,” she stated.
The commission has been diligently working to ensure the poll is conducted successfully, according to the acting INEC chairman.
Additionally, she stated that the electoral body had met with national, state, and local government security agencies on multiple occasions.
The state has received all of the election’s non-sensitive materials, she said, and voter education and sensitization campaigns are still running strong.
Nigerians responded well to the ongoing nationwide continuous voter registration (CVR), according to Mrs. Agbamuche-Mbu.
She stated, “This shows us that Nigerians trust our democracy and the commission’s work to make sure that all eligible Nigerians have the right to choose their leaders.”
Commencing on August 18, the exercise would last for a year, terminating on August 30, 2026, according to the acting INEC chairman.
She praised the contributions made to the electoral process by Mahmood Yakubu, the immediate past chairman of INEC, and said he left behind a legacy of integrity, innovation, and institutional strength.
She declared, “Today, we acknowledge with deep appreciation his (Yakubu’s) invaluable contribution, not just to INEC but to democracy across the in Africa.”
The National Assembly should move quickly on the ongoing constitutional and electoral reforms, Yusuf Dantalle, the national head of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), said in his remarks.
According to Mr. Dantalle, IPAC had already presented its recommendations, which included dismantling State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) and urging that INEC be given control over all local government elections.
“IPAC also proposed the creation of an Electoral Offenses Commission to prosecute electoral offenders and the restoration of funding for political parties to ensure a level playing field,” he said.
The national chairman of IPAC also mentioned that in order to ensure the commission’s independence from political influence, the executive branch should no longer have the authority to choose INEC’s chairman, national commissioners, and resident electoral commissioners.
The forthcoming Anambra election, he claimed, will be a “litmus test” for the commission’s new leadership and lay the groundwork for other elections, including as the “decisive” general elections in 2027.
Nigerian voters anticipate free, fair, and inclusive elections in which each vote is taken into account and influences the final outcome.
He said, “The outcome of this off-cycle election will pave the way for the 2026 elections, which include the Federal Capital Territory Area Council polls, the gubernatorial elections in Osun and Ekiti States, and the pivotal general elections in 2027.”
In his speech, Mr. Dantalle encouraged INEC to correct its behavior.
