The European Union (EU) has announced the deployment of 687 election observers to Anambra State ahead of Saturday’s governorship election, as part of its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) initiative.
According to the EU, the observers will work through its civil society partners to strengthen peacebuilding, promote gender and disability inclusion, combat misinformation, and boost public confidence in the electoral process.
Seven key partner organisations under the EU-SDGN programme — including the Kukah Centre, Yiaga Africa, International Press Centre, Centre for Media and Society, Nigeria Women Trust Fund, ElectHER, and TAF Africa — have already commenced operations in the state.
The EU noted that the deployment represents one of the most extensive civil society-led observer missions ever recorded for a state election in Nigeria.
A statement from the programme explained that the unified deployment aims to provide a broad, evidence-based view of the election by drawing on the diverse expertise of participating organisations. Findings from the observers will be compiled into a comprehensive report to be shared with the public and relevant stakeholders.
Observers have been assigned across multiple thematic areas, including election integrity and results verification, disability inclusion, gender participation, peacebuilding, media monitoring and misinformation tracking, and logistics observation. Each thematic cluster will collect real-time data and submit its findings for analysis.
Earlier in the week, the EU-SDGN partners facilitated the signing of a Peace Accord by all political parties and candidates contesting the election. The group urged candidates to uphold the accord not just in principle but through peaceful conduct and respect for the will of voters.
The programme also presented a Joint Pre-Election Assessment Report, which reviewed the political climate, security environment, and institutional readiness for the poll. The report offered 66 actionable recommendations aimed at improving electoral credibility, voter access, and transparency.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared full readiness for the election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025, across 5,718 polling wards in Anambra State.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan stated during a stakeholders’ meeting in Awka that about 24,000 ad hoc staff and 540 accredited journalists would participate in the exercise. He reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to conducting a credible, transparent, and inclusive election.
Sixteen candidates from 16 political parties are contesting the governorship seat, including the incumbent, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, who is seeking re-election under the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA).
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