The 2025 Anambra governorship election commenced on Saturday with voter accreditation and ballot casting underway across the state’s 21 local government areas, amid a heavy security presence.
At Ward 002, Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area - the hometown of the incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo - voters were already gathered before 9:30 a.m., waiting to be accredited by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Security operatives maintained tight perimeter control around the polling units to ensure order.
Reports from Awka, Nnewi, Onitsha and other key towns indicate that electoral materials arrived early, with most polling units opening for accreditation between 8:00 a.m. and 8:30 a.m., signalling what observers described as an encouraging start.
A total of 16 candidates from 16 political parties are contesting the election. Those cleared by INEC include Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Nicholas Ukachukwu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Paul Chukwuma of the Young Progressives Party (YPP), George Moghalu of the Labour Party (LP), and Jude Ezenwafor of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Others in the race are John Nwosu of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Chioma Ifemeludike of the African Action Congress (AAC), Echezona Oti of the Allied People’s Movement (APM), Jeff Nweke of Action Alliance (AA), Charles Onyeze of Accord Party, Geoff Onyejegbu of the NNPP, Chukwudubem Nweke of APP, Jerry Okeke of Boot Party (BP), Ndidi Olieh of the National Rescue Movement (NRM), Martin Ugwoji of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) and Vincent Chukwurah of the Social Democratic Party (SDP).
INEC says voting is taking place in 5,718 polling units across the state, where over 2.8 million registered voters are expected to determine whether Soludo will secure a second term or be replaced by one of his challengers. The state also recorded a PVC collection rate of 98.8 percent, one of the highest recorded in recent Nigerian elections.
To secure the process, more than 45,000 security personnel - including police, soldiers and civil defence officials - have been deployed statewide.
The exercise is also notable as the first major election overseen by the new INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
Voting, sorting and collation are expected to continue through the day, with early results projected to begin emerging later tonight.
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