Situation Room Tasks INEC, Security Agencies on Credible Anambra Poll

Situation Room Tasks INEC, Security Agencies on Credible Anambra Poll

….demands early deployment, professionalism as 45,000 police officers mobilised

From JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure transparency, professionalism, and timely deployment of materials and personnel in tomorrow’s Anambra State governorship election.

In a preliminary press briefing on Friday in Awka, the State Capital City, the coalition of over 70 civil society organisations described the poll as a critical test for Nigeria’s new INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, and a major opportunity to rebuild public confidence in the country’s electoral process.

“Given the State’s strategic importance and high stakes politically, credible conduct of this poll will reinforce public trust in the democratic process in the South-East and contribute to national momentum for deepening democracy in Nigeria,” the group stated.

The election, holding in 5,718 polling units across 326 wards in 21 local government areas, will be the first major election under Prof. Amupitan, who was appointed a few weeks ago.

Situation Room acknowledged INEC’s assurances of full readiness, noting that the Commission had deployed both sensitive and non-sensitive materials to local governments, alongside 3,000 vehicles, 83 boats, 6,879 BVAS machines, and 24,000 ad-hoc staff.

However, it urged the Commission to ensure early deployment and opening of polls by 8:30 a.m., including in riverine areas, while stressing that the efficient use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and real-time transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal would be crucial to public trust.

“INEC must ensure vehicles and personnel are adequately briefed on their routes to avoid being misdirected and arriving late at polling units,” the coalition warned.

It also demanded “transparent result tabulation and collation” to prevent manipulations that have dented the credibility of recent off-cycle elections.
In a rare commendation, Situation Room welcomed INEC’s partnership with TAF Africa to deploy Sign Language Interpreters for voters with hearing impairments.

“We hope that this leads to broader inclusion of persons with disability in the political process in Nigeria,” the statement added.

The coalition expressed concern over the deployment of 45,000 security personnel by the Nigeria Police Force, describing the figure as unusually high and reflective of weaknesses in Nigeria’s electoral environment.

“While we acknowledge the need to secure the election, the number of deployment in this election is a clear manifestation of deficits within our democratization process. After 26 years of regular elections, it is expected that with each election cycle, there will be a draw down in the number of security personnel,” it said.

The Coalition warned that security operatives must not intimidate voters and called on the Police to ensure active contact centres capable of responding swiftly to incidents, especially in identified flashpoints.

Political Parties and Voter Responsibility
On the role of political actors, the Situation Room criticised the “lack of competitiveness” among several parties, insisting that fielding candidates without proper campaign structures weakens democracy.

“When a political party indicates an intention to participate in an election and fields a candidate, it carries the inherent obligation to generate the requisite degree of electoral competitiveness,” the group stated.

It cautioned that failure by parties to deploy accredited agents across polling and collation centres amounts to “a dereliction of fundamental duty to the democratic system.”

The group also appealed to Anambra voters to come out en masse to vote peacefully, while rejecting inducement.

“Selling of votes is illegal and undermines the development of the State,” it warned.
Hope for Credible Polls

Despite challenges in previous elections, the Situation Room expressed optimism that tomorrow’s governorship election would mark a positive turning point.

“Recent elections have been fraught with irregularities, but we remain hopeful that this governorship election will be a departure. As we go into the polls tomorrow, we wish Ndi Anambra a peaceful electoral outing,” it concluded.

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room is a coalition of over 70 civil society organisations working to promote credible elections and good governance in Nigeria. Its steering committee includes ActionAid Nigeria, CDD, PLAC, CLEEN Foundation, CITAD, and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, among others.