The European Union, EU, has announced the deployment of 687 election observers to Anambra State ahead of Saturday, November 8, governorship election under its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria, EU-SDGN, programme.
The initiative is aimed at bolstering electoral integrity, peacebuilding, gender and disability inclusion, combating misinformation, and restoring public trust in the democratic process.
In a statement issued on Thursday in Abuja, the EU confirmed that seven of its 16 implementing partners — the Kukah Centre, Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre, IPC, Centre for Media and Society, CEMESO, Nigeria Women Trust Fund, NWTF, ElectHER, and TAF Africa — are already stationed in Anambra for election observation.
“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.
“In total, the programme is deploying 687 observers across Anambra State, working in coordinated clusters that cover election integrity, disability inclusion, gender participation, peacebuilding, media and misinformation tracking, logistics observation, and real-time data reporting.
“This is one of the most extensive civil society-led observer deployments ever recorded for a state election 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 statement read.
The observers will monitor several thematic areas, including results verification, disability inclusion with sign language interpreters, gender participation, media monitoring and fact-checking, peacebuilding, logistics management, and distribution of election materials.
Earlier in the week, the EU-SDGN programme facilitated the signing of the Anambra Election Peace Accord by all political parties and candidates.
“The Peace Accord is not the conclusion, but the beginning of responsibility,” the cohort affirmed. “Candidates must not only sign for peace, but act peacefully and respect the will of the voters.”
Additionally, the programme presented a Joint Pre-Election Assessment Report, which reviewed the political and security landscape, media environment, and levels of gender and disability inclusion. The report also provided 66 actionable recommendations to improve electoral credibility and institutional preparedness.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has reaffirmed its readiness for the November 8, 2025, governorship election across Anambra’s 5,718 wards.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed at a stakeholders’ meeting in Awka that 24,000 ad hoc staff and 540 accredited journalists will be deployed for the exercise, assuring stakeholders of a transparent and inclusive process.
Sixteen candidates from 16 political parties are contesting the election, including the incumbent governor, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA.
Comments