INEC Draws Battle Lines for Anambra Poll: Amupitan Declares ‘Zero Tolerance for Failure’ as Commission Unveils Full-Scale Readiness
By Joy Odor Awka | November 1, 2025
With barely a week to the Anambra Governorship Election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared itself “fully battle-ready,” vowing to deliver one of Nigeria’s most transparent, technology-driven, and inclusive elections yet.
Speaking in Awka during a high-level inspection visit ahead of Monday’s stakeholders’ meeting, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, assured that every logistical, security, and technological measure had been perfected for the November 8 poll.
“Our responsibility is to the people of this nation,” Amupitan said firmly. “We are fully prepared to deliver an election that is fair, credible, and reflective of the people’s will. No vested interest will derail that mandate.”
The INEC boss, who toured facilities in Awka South and Oyi Local Government Areas alongside National Commissioners, emphasized that election materials must reach polling units by 7:00am and voting commence by 8:30am sharp.
He further directed that all collation processes must be transparent and results must align precisely with BVAS records, warning that any deviation would be treated as sabotage.
Providing operational updates, Dr. Elizabeth Agwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Anambra State, said all non-sensitive materials had been dispatched to the 21 Local Government Areas, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) had been fully configured, tested, and certified fit for deployment.
“We have left nothing to chance,” Dr. Agwu said. “From personnel training to equipment testing and logistics planning, every component is in place. We’ve also deployed generators to ensure uninterrupted power at key locations.”
Amupitan cautioned “desperate political actors” against attempts to undermine the process, stressing that INEC’s focus remained unshaken.
“The integrity of this election is non-negotiable,” he warned. “We will defend the vote, protect our staff, and ensure every ballot counts.”
The INEC Chairman underscored the importance of collaboration with political parties, security agencies, civil society groups, and the media, describing partnership and transparency as “the twin pillars of electoral credibility.”
He noted that strong inter-agency security arrangements had been put in place to secure personnel, voters, and materials before, during, and after the election.
During the inspection, Electoral Officers Mrs. Olivia Nkem (Oyi) and Mrs. Ozoagu Chinyere (Awka South) led the delegation through election material depots, showcasing logistics already batched for movement to registration areas.
INEC’s confidence, officials say, stems from months of preparation under Amupitan’s leadership marked by reforms to close logistical gaps, tighten result integrity, and restore public trust in the ballot.
With this final readiness declaration, INEC appears poised to stage what observers describe as a defining test of Nigeria’s evolving electoral credibility, one that could set a new national benchmark for sub-national polls.
