The governorship election in Anambra State commenced at exactly 8:30 a.m. on Saturday at Udeozo Primary School, Awka, in Awka South Local Government Area.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) began accreditation simultaneously at the three polling units within the school premises, with only a handful of voters present at the time.
While the exercise took place under the mango trees, some young men were seen playing football on the school field, seemingly indifferent to the ongoing election.
One of them, who identified himself as Sunday, told The Guardian that he had no interest in voting.
“Our votes have not counted in the past, so what is the essence of voting today?” he asked.
An elderly voter, 79-year-old Mr. Ogbodo, who cast his ballot around 8:55 a.m., described the process as “smooth” and expressed hope that it would remain peaceful throughout the day.
Yiaga Africa blames parties for apathy
As voting commenced in Anambra State, Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, attributed potential voter apathy to political parties, arguing that their failure to engage citizens effectively could discourage turnout.
Speaking on Channels Television’s special coverage of the governorship election, Itodo said, “I think if there’s one aspect most political parties have failed, it’s in voter mobilisation. If parties are serious about electoral competition, voters are their major clients and targets. If voters are not showing up, parties should take full responsibility. It’s either they’re not communicating effectively, not reaching voters, or voters don’t trust them.”
He further suggested that a sense of disconnection among citizens stems from the candidates presented. “Parties need to do a better job of mobilising their voters. Enticing people to show up is unacceptable. Parties must outline clear developmental programmes that voters can believe in,” he said.
Addressing security, Itodo identified Anambra South as a key area of focus, noting that many of the leading candidates hail from the region. “Most hotspots are in Anambra South, including Ihiala, Nnewi, and Aguata. Aguata is a battleground senatorial district because most major party candidates come from there. Anambra Central, Awka South, and Idemili North are also competitive areas,” he stated.
Itodo observed that the election had begun smoothly, with no major security breaches reported, and expressed hope that adequate protection would be maintained in sensitive locations.
Election materials
Meanwhile, INEC officials were seen deploying election materials across Awka South Local Government Area early on Saturday morning. At St. Matthew Catholic Church, staff left for various polling units, while ad hoc personnel assembled at the Community Primary School, Amawbia, to cover Wards 01 and 02, departing at 7:07 a.m. Buses carrying voting materials were also observed moving to other locations across the local government area.
Anambra’s poll involves 2,802,790 registered voters across 5,718 polling units in 21 local government areas, with sixteen candidates contesting across the state’s three senatorial districts. Prominent candidates include Governor Chukwuma Soludo of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Nicholas Ukachukwu (APC), Paul Chukwuma (YPP), George Moghalu (Labour Party), and Jude Ezenwafor (PDP).
The Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Shogunle, reiterated assurances of a peaceful exercise, noting that security agencies had carried out clearance operations in high-risk areas and neutralised identified threats.
