EU Deploys 687 Observers for Anambra Guber Poll
The European Union (EU) has announced the deployment of 687 election observers to Anambra State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election. The deployment is being carried out under the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) programme.
According to a statement released on Thursday in Abuja, the observers will work across key thematic areas, including election integrity, peacebuilding, gender participation, disability inclusion, logistics, and misinformation tracking.
The EU explained that through the EU-SDGN programme, it is supporting Nigerian civil society partners to promote peaceful, credible, and inclusive elections, while also strengthening public confidence in the democratic process.
“The key feature of this unified deployment is to obtain a broad view of the election by utilising the diverse skills and experience of the EU-SDGN partners, analysing the findings, and compiling them into a comprehensive report that will be made public and available to all stakeholders,” the statement read.
Seven of the 16 implementing partners under the EU-SDGN — including The Kukah Centre, Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), Nigeria Women Trust Fund, ElectHER, and TAF Africa — have already commenced on-ground operations in Anambra.
The EU described the deployment as one of the most extensive civil society-led election observation exercises ever undertaken for a state poll in Nigeria.
“Each cluster is collecting evidence from a different angle. When those findings are merged, they offer a fuller, verifiable picture of the election that no single organisation could produce alone,” the EU added.
The observers will cover multiple dimensions of the electoral process, such as:
Election integrity and results verification;
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Disability inclusion, supported by trained observers and sign language interpreters;
Gender participation, tracking issues affecting women’s involvement;
Media and misinformation tracking, through journalists and fact-checkers across polling locations;
Peacebuilding and conflict prevention; and Logistics monitoring, including the movement of sensitive election materials.
Earlier in the week, the EU-SDGN programme facilitated the signing of the Anambra Election Peace Accord, which brought together all candidates and political parties. The group urged political actors to demonstrate genuine commitment to peace beyond the symbolic signing.
“The Peace Accord is not the conclusion, but the beginning of responsibility. Candidates must not only sign for peace but act peacefully and respect the will of the voters,” the EU-SDGN cohort emphasised.
In addition, the EU-SDGN recently presented a Joint Pre-Election Assessment Report, which analysed the political climate, security environment, media coverage, and levels of inclusion of women and persons with disabilities. The report provided 66 actionable recommendations aimed at improving electoral credibility, voter participation, and institutional readiness.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its full readiness for the governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025, across the state’s 5,718 polling units.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Awka, disclosed that about 24,000 ad hoc staff and 540 accredited journalists will participate in the exercise. He restated the commission’s commitment to conducting a free, fair, and inclusive election.
A total of 16 candidates from 16 political parties will contest the election, including the incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
By PRNigeria
