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Approximately 2.8 million eligible voters are expected to participate in the gubernatorial elections across 21 local government areas in Anambra State, South-Eastern Nigeria.
The police have announced that movement will be restricted from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday.
Accreditation and voting at 5,718 polling stations are set to begin at 8:30 a.m. and conclude at 2:30 p.m. Following this, sorting and counting of the votes will take place at the ward, local, and state collation centres, along with the announcement of the results.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approved 16 political parties to participate in the election.
However, the major candidates are the incumbent, Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP), and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to INEC, both sensitive and non-sensitive materials are ready for distribution to the polling units. Election officials visited the Central Bank of Nigeria in Awka on Thursday to collect sensitive electoral materials.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, reassured the public that the Commission is committed to conducting a trustworthy election in the state. This governorship election will be Amupitan’s first since his appointment by President Bola Tinubu in October 2025.
Observation groups believe the governorship election will be a critical test for Amupitan.
The new INEC boss said in a statement on Thursday on INEC’s X account that “the greatest threat to Anambra’s democracy is not only external violence but also voter apathy.”
Insecurity remains a significant worry in Anambra, with multiple reports of violence and abductions. It is also among the states where a sit-at-home directive issued by non-state actors remains in effect, keeping many residents indoors.
However, the police have also encouraged residents to interpret the heavy security presence during the election as a sign that they should participate in voting.
