The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that the November 8 Anambra governorship election will be conducted in a total of 5,718 polling units across the state.
The Commission has also deployed 24,000 ad-hoc staff to facilitate the smooth conduct of the exercise.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr. Sam Olumekun, disclosed this after the conclusion of a mock accreditation and result-upload exercise in the state. He stated that INEC was 99 percent ready for the election, having completed most of the preparatory logistics and security arrangements.
“We have 5,720 polling units in Anambra State, but two of them are what we call zero polling units because they have no registered voters. Therefore, the election will take place in 5,718 polling units,” Olumekun explained.
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He assured voters that the Commission had no security concerns, noting that continuous engagement with security agencies had yielded positive assurances. “We have been interfacing with security operatives, and they have assured us that there is no cause for alarm,” he said.
Addressing areas previously affected by insecurity, such as Ihiala Local Government Area, Olumekun confirmed that voting would hold in all polling units this time, unlike in previous elections when voting was restricted to the council headquarters.
“In Ihiala, during the last run-off election, we moved polling units to the council headquarters due to security concerns. But this time, the security agencies have assured us that they have taken control of those areas, meaning voting will take place in the regular polling units,” he said.
Olumekun further explained that while security personnel will be stationed around polling areas, armed officers will not be deployed directly to polling units, in line with international election standards.
“Armed personnel will not be present at the polling units. However, they will be strategically located nearby to respond swiftly to any security issues,” he stated.
On the mock accreditation exercise, Olumekun said it was conducted to test the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the result upload process.
“What we did today was a mock accreditation exercise using the BVAS for both voter accreditation and result upload. It was a test run of the entire process, and it was successful. Each polling unit will also have backup BVAS machines in case of any technical issues,” he noted.
The Commissioner also disclosed that INEC had finalized logistics arrangements with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) for the movement of election materials and personnel.
“We have signed Memoranda of Understanding with transport unions, and they will be paid half of their fees upfront and the balance after the election. For riverine areas, we have made provisions for boats to ensure easy transportation of materials and personnel,” Olumekun added.
He further assured that sensitive election materials would be delivered 48 hours before the election day, as part of INEC’s commitment to a transparent and credible process.
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