The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has warned against vote-buying ahead of the November 8 governorship election in Anambra State, assuring that the commission is fully prepared to deliver a free, fair, and credible poll.
Amupitan provided the guarantee on Tuesday at the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security meeting in Abuja.
Amupitan warned against voter inducement and promised that INEC would collaborate closely with security and anti-graft authorities to combat the issue of vote-buying.
“We would like to warn that any attempt to induce voters before or during the Anambra election will be met with the full force of the law.
“Together, we must combat vote-buying, uphold the values of democracy, and work relentlessly for the credibility of our elections,” he cautioned.
The INEC Chairman reiterated his commitment to credible elections, saying, “For INEC, this represents a new chapter. I wish to reiterate my personal commitment to delivering free, fair, and credible elections that genuinely reflect the will of the Nigerian people.”
He revealed that INEC was working quickly to rectify network issues that arose during last weekend’s mock accreditation process in the state.
The experiment was designed to test the performance of the updated Bimodal Voter Accreditation System as well as the efficiency with which results are transmitted via the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
“We recently conducted a mock accreditation exercise in 12 selected polling units across six local government areas in Anambra State. Although we encountered some network issues, efforts are underway to ensure a seamless exercise on November 8, 2025. The commission is ready for large-scale deployment on Election Day,” he said.
Amupitan reported that around 24,000 INEC staff would be deployed across 5,718 voting units, with results collated at 326 ward centers, 21 local government areas, and the State Collation Center in Awka.
Regarding voter readiness, Amupitan stated that the commission had extended the collection of Permanent Voter Cards in Anambra from Wednesday, October 29, to Sunday, November 2, to allow more eligible voters to obtain their cards.
“We are determined that no eligible voter should be disenfranchised,” he added.
The INEC chairman praised security services for working together to ensure a calm electoral environment, emphasizing the importance of inter-agency coordination in sustaining public trust in the process.
“Synergy among all security agencies is non-negotiable, particularly at a time when the credibility of our elections is paramount,” he said.
He also revealed that the commission has made logistics arrangements with transport unions such as the National Association of Road Transport Owners, the National Union of Road Transport Workers, and the Maritime Workers Union of Nigeria for the transfer of election materials and personnel.
“We have hired 200 buses and 83 boats to ensure the smooth transportation of personnel and sensitive materials,” he said.
The conference, co-chaired by Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, and represented by Hassan Abdullahi, the Director of Internal Security in his office, brought together top security, intelligence, and law enforcement officials to fine-tune tactics for a peaceful and incident-free election.
Amupitan expressed confidence that stakeholders’ united effort will make the Anambra governorship election a model for electoral integrity.
“The path ahead may be challenging, but if we stand united, there is nothing we cannot achieve,” he said.
INEC reported that over 2.8 million registered voters are likely to participate in the poll. Of the 13 activities on the calendar, 11 have already been completed, with political campaigns ending on November 6 and the governorship election set for November 8.
The BVAS system, which was launched at the 2023 general elections, is intended to authenticate voters biometrically and broadcast results electronically in real time via the IReV portal.
However, issues encountered during the previous general election pushed the commission to enhance its systems ahead of the Anambra election.
