.Says, it’s greatest threat to democracy
By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, on Thursday expressed deep concerns over what he described as Anambra State’s long-standing pattern of voter apathy, warning that it poses a grave threat to the state’s democratic progress and the credibility of Saturday’s governorship election.
Addressing a press conference in Abuja, Prof. Amupitan said that while the Commission had put in place elaborate logistical and security arrangements for the November 8 poll, low voter participation remained the single biggest danger to the electoral process.
“The greatest enemy to Anambra’s democracy is not just external violence, but voter apathy. Democracy only thrives when citizens actively choose their leaders”, he declared.
The INEC chairman lamented that despite Anambra’s impressive register of 2,802,790 registered voters, the state has historically recorded poor turnout during governorship elections. He recalled that in 2013, voter turnout stood at 25.5 percent (413,005 valid votes from 1,770,125 registered voters), dropped to 20.1 percent in 2017 (422,314 votes from 2,364,134 registered voters), and plummeted to 10.27 percent in 2021 (241,523 votes from 2,466,638 registered voters).
Amupitan described this decline as “genuinely worrying,” adding that the Commission had taken steps to ensure that citizens were not disenfranchised in this year’s exercise.
He disclosed that following the conclusion of the voter register cleanup, INEC finalized the register on September 4, 2025, and extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards PVCs)l from October 29 to November 2 to encourage higher participation.
“I am delighted to share a success story today that the extension has yielded excellent results. The percentage of collected PVCs now stands at an impressive 98.8 percent of registered voters, a significant achievement by any standard”, he declared.
The INEC boss assured that all uncollected cards had been safely retrieved and deposited with the Central Bank of Nigeria CBN until after the election, while revealing inclusion measures for voters with disabilities.
“We have partnered with TAP Africa to deploy sign language interpreters across the three senatorial zones in Anambra State, enabling 3,456 registered voters with disabilities to fully exercise their rights,” the INEC chairman stated.
Prof. Amupitan also highlighted the Commission’s readiness in logistics and security, saying all 5,718 polling units must open simultaneously at 8:30 a.m. on election day. He disclosed that INEC had deployed over 24,000 trained ad hoc staff, tested 6,879 BVAS devices, and arranged 3,000 vehicles and 83 boats to facilitate movement, especially to riverine areas.
He said; “NEC’s situation room in Anambra will monitor operations live to ensure rapid response to any challenge. The era of delayed polling unit opening must remain firmly behind us.”
On security, Prof. Amupitan announced that the Nigeria Police Force will deploy 45,000 officers, supported by 10,250 Civil Defence personnel and other members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security ICCES.
He added that the Commission had also deployed four national commissioners and ten resident electoral commissioners to supervise the election across the state.
“We are determined to deliver an election that is credible, inclusive, transparent and efficiently executed,” he said, warning that any attempt at violence, vote buying, or intimidation would be met with “strict and lawful consequences.”
The INEC chairman revealed that the Commission voters in six registration areas in Ihiala Local Government where there are security concerns, would now vote at the local government level.
He also confirmed that INEC was investigating an allegation of vote buying raised during a recent stakeholders’ meeting, explaining that the commission is waiting for evidence from the claimant.
Prof. Amupitan commended the National Peace Committee for its continued intervention and urged Anambra voters to turn out massively on election day.
“You have collected your PVCs. Security will protect you. INEC is ready for you. So, come out on Saturday, November 8, 2025, vote freely, vote peacefully, and vote proudly,” he appealed.
He further disclosed that out of the 13 activities outlined for the upcoming council elections in the Federal Capital Territory FCT in February 2026, INEC has completed eight and was currently on the ninth – the submission of names of polling agents and observers – which closes on December 15, 2025.
“With God’s grace and the courage of the people, the 2025 Anambra Governorship Election will be credible, peaceful, and truly reflective of the will of the people,” Prof. Amupitan assured.
The post Anambra: INEC worries over pattern of historic voter apathy appeared first on Vanguard News.
