Esther Salifu
The Independent Electoral Commission, INEC, has announced that the 2025 Anambra State Governorship election will hold on Saturday 8th November 2025.
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement in his remark at the Fourth Regular Consultative Meeting with Political Parties held at the INEC conference room, Abuja, on Thursday.
He said : Even as we prepare for the Ondo State Governorship election, we are always mindful of our responsibilities for elections and electoral activities. For instance, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 requires the Commission to issue the notice for elections not later than 360 days before the date of the election.
‘This applies to the General as well as Off-Cycle governorship elections. As you are aware, the last governorship election in Anambra State was held on 6th November 2021. By the effluxion of time, the governorship election is due next year. Consequently, the Commission has approved that the 2025 Anambra State Governorship election will hold on Saturday 8th November 2025.
“In compliance with the mandatory requirement of 360 days, the formal notice for the election will be published on 13th November 2024.
“Primaries will be held from 20th March 2025 to 10th April 2025. The candidate nomination portal will open at 9.00am on 18th April 2025 and close at 6.00pm on 12th May 2025. The final list of candidates will be published on 9th June 2025. Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 11th June 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday 6th November 2025.
“Voting will take place in all the 5,720 Polling Units across the State on Saturday 8th November 2025. In the coming weeks, the Commission will provide details of other electoral activities, including the registration of new voters, transfer of voters and the replacement of lost or damaged PVCs.
“The detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2025 Anambra State Governorship election will be uploaded to our website and social media platforms before the end of this meeting. Hard copies will also be made available to you shortly.”
Yakubu encouraged all political parties to align their timetables with its own to ensure seamless collaboration and planning for party primaries and campaign activities, adding that the coordination will facilitate the efficient deployment of personnel and resources, and it will avoid the last minute rush with the attendant inability to meet deadlines.
According to him, it remain 29 days (or four weeks) to the Ondo State Governorship election, “Only two days ago, the Commission presented the register of voters to political parties in our State office in Akure.
“ With this development, we have successfully accomplished 10 out of the 13 activities listed in the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the election. The remaining activities are the publication of the Notice of Poll, the Last Day of Campaign and Election Day.
“ Although we have already published the Timetable, we are once again including copies in your folders for this meeting for guidance.”
Yakubu further announced that the collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) from the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) commenced today in Ondo State.
“ For the next five days (17th – 21st October 2024), the cards will be available for collection at each of the 203 wards across the State.
“Thereafter, the cards will be available for collection in our 18 Local Government Area offices in the State for one week (23rd – 29th October 2024).
“The centres will be open to citizens from 9am – 5pm daily. A document containing the names and location addresses of the 221 collection centres has already been uploaded to our website for public information. Hard copies are also included in your folders for this meeting.
“ As usual, we appeal to political parties to support the Commission in mobilising registered voters to collect their PVCs. To make the process easier, we have also uploaded the register containing the names and photographs of new voters (fresh registrants, transfers and applications for replacement of lost or damaged PVCs) to our website to facilitate a seamless collection of the cards.”
Also speaking, the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC) National Chairman, Yusuf Mamman Dantalle urged governments to improve citizens’ wellbeing, ensure free and fair elections and scrap State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs).
He stressed the need for an environment conducive to successful elections, political stability and economic growth. He urged stakeholders to promote voter education, sensitization and mobilization, ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process.
“IPAC reiterates its demand for the scrapping of the State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs) as the sham called elections they conduct are deliberate assault on the nation’s democracy. Council will not fold its hand and allow this glaring perversion of the democratic process to continue”, Dantalle added.
