The Electoral Hub, an Initiative for Research, Innovation, and Advocacy in Development, has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for its improvements in all areas during the Anambra governorship election.

The director of the Electoral Hub, Princess Hamman-Obels, who said this in a statement on Wednesday, said that INEC improved in professionalism, transparency, and logistics.

Ms Hamman-Obels said the election represented a significant improvement over previous polls, particularly in the areas of result transmission, logistics coordination, and inclusivity.

“As an accredited observer and civil society organisation committed to promoting electoral knowledge, accountability, inclusion, and integrity, the Electoral Hub monitored the process from pre-election preparations to post-election activities,” said Ms Hamman-Obels. “We commend INEC for the relative professionalism and transparency demonstrated throughout the electoral process.”

Ms Hamman-Obels said that the organisation highlighted several positive developments that strengthened the integrity of the poll. She said these included: strict compliance with the election timetable, adding that INEC adhered closely to its official schedule, demonstrating a high level of preparedness and legal compliance.

Ms Hamman-Obels added that voting commenced promptly at 8:30 a.m. in most polling units, ensuring an orderly process, and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System performed effectively.

She explained that BVAS achieved a 99.62 per cent result upload to the INEC Result Viewing Portal by 9:15 a.m. on November 9, and INEC’s ad-hoc officials, including NYSC members, were commended for their professionalism and adherence to election guidelines.

She stated that the results were transparently collated from ward to state level, culminating in the declaration of Charles Soludo (APGA) as the winner with 422,664 votes, defeating Prince Nicholas Ukachukwu (APC), who polled 99,445 votes.

She added that voters with disabilities were provided with braille, magnifying glasses, and sign language interpreters at 25 polling stations, while women, including pregnant voters, were given priority in line with the Electoral Act 2022.

She said that in spite of the overall success, the Electoral Hub identified several challenges that affected the credibility and inclusivity of the election:

Hamman-Obels said that the N50 million campaign permit fee imposed by the Anambra State Signage and Advertisement Agency created an unfair advantage for wealthier parties, notably the ruling APGA.

She added that the killing of a local councilor in Orumba South LGA underscored ongoing security risks and incidents of vote buying were reported at several polling units, with payments ranging between N3,000 and N20,000 per voter.

She said that only 21.4 per cent of registered voters participated, reflecting continued voter apathy and disillusionment.

Ms Hamman-Obels noted that while the Anambra election reflected tangible improvements, it occurred within the broader context of Nigeria’s democratic recession.

(NAN)