By Ovat Abeng
An election observing organization,YIAGA Africa has expressed concerns over possible security threats in six local government areas ahead of the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.
The six council areas, according to Dr Asmau Maikudi, Chairperson of the 2025 Anambra election mission, Yiaga Africa, who disclosed this in a pre-election press statement in Awka, on Wednesday, during a press conference, include, Orumba North, Orumba South, Ogbaru, Ihiala, Nnewi South and Aguata.
Maikudi who also outlined three critical benchmarks that will shape the credibility of the electoral process, which include” efficiency of logistics, integrity in electoral procedures, saying that drawing from past electoral experiences and recent bye-elections, the three tests will serve as the litmus test for public trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and political actors, noting that failure to meet these standard could further erode voter confidence and deepen the legitimacy crisis in Nigeria’s democracy.
READ ALSO: Cross River NDDC Rep, Rt Hon Orok Duke, Attends Gov Otu’s Son’s Wedding, Congratulates the Couple
She said Yiaga Africa also observed in its engagement across the 21 local government areas that a significant number of young people within the voting aged were disinterested in registering as voters or participating in the election, given this trend, and Anambra’s historical record of low voter turnout, there are serious concerns that the 2025 governorship election may witnessed turnout rates below 20 percent further weakening electoral legitimacy.
According to her, Yiaga Africa will deployed a total of 250 stationary observers to a representative statistical sample of 250 polling units and 22 mobile observers in the 21 local government areas of the State, to enable the group to provide timely and accurate information on the conduct of accreditation, voting and counting as well as to independently verify the official results for the Anambra gubernatorial election as announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, if the announced results reflect the ballots cast at polling units, we will confirm the outcome.
Maikudi while threatening that Yiaga Africa will expose any manipulation of the announced results if they do not match the results posted at the polling station, urged INEC and the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to intensifies sensitization across communities in Nigeria, on the importance of voting during an election.
She recommended the security agencies to uphold neutrality, professionalism, deploy strategically to hotspots, arrest and prosecute vote buyers.
She also urged other stakeholders to commit to a peaceful, fair, inclusive and credible electoral process.
