Stakeholders in Nigeria’s democratic process have renewed their commitment to ensuring a peaceful governorship election in Anambra.

They said the commitment would be achieved through collaboration among civil society groups, security agencies, and the Independent National Electoral Commission.

They made the pledge on Tuesday in Abuja at a dialogue organised by the Nigeria Situation Room, a coalition of more than 100 civil society organisations.

Convener of the group, Yunusa Ya’u, said the meeting aimed to “build a common understanding of the situation in the state and generate ideas on how elections can be conducted that would be free, fair, and acceptable to citizens”.

Mr Ya’u expressed optimism that ongoing engagements among stakeholders would yield positive outcomes.

“I don’t have fears; I have hopes. In the last few months, civil society organisations, security agencies, and INEC have been campaigning for peaceful elections. People in Anambra now understand that peace is crucial, you can’t have credible elections in a context of violence,” he said.

He noted that significant groundwork had been laid to guarantee a secure atmosphere for voters.

“A lot of preparation and commitment have gone into ensuring that citizens can come out freely to cast their votes without intimidation. While we can’t be 100 per cent sure that violence won’t occur, we are confident that our collective efforts will deliver a free and peaceful election,” he added.

Mr Ya’u said ongoing engagements with the National Assembly committees on electoral matters were aimed at achieving a repeal and reenactment of a new electoral act to strengthen Nigeria’s democratic framework.

“There is no shortage of commitment in civil society to support electoral reforms and better elections for Nigeria. We all recognise that the 2027 elections will be crucial, and we are determined to contribute ideas and solutions that will move the process forward,” he said.

Speaking on security arrangements, police commissioner Ikioye Orutugu outlined detailed plans to safeguard the electoral process. Mr Orutugu said security agencies, including the police, SSS, civil defence, immigration, and FRSC, would be fully deployed across the state.

“From midnight before the election, all entry routes into Anambra will be closed. Only officials on election duty will be allowed movement, and anyone attempting to infiltrate the state will be stopped,” he said.

Mr Orutugu added that a “show of force” exercise would take place on November 7 to deter troublemakers, noting that “all identified black spots will be raided, and polling units will be adequately protected to prevent ballot box snatching or disruption”.

Assuring stakeholders of INEC’s readiness, the resident electoral commissioner, Queen Agwu, said the commission had completed training for all personnel and partner agencies.

She said ad hoc staff training for the 21 local government areas would be held on October 16, while civil society organisations had been deployed to sensitise residents ahead of the election.

On the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, Ms Agwu said 978 backup devices had been reserved and distributed across wards and local governments.

“We have technical assistants stationed in the wards and local governments, so if any BVAS malfunctions, they can respond immediately. Sometimes when we train officials, they don’t pay attention, and pressing the wrong button can cause issues,” she said.

Ms Agwu urged citizens to approach the polls with sincerity and a renewed determination to ensure a free and fair process.

Representing the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, Matthew Ayibakuro commended the collaboration between civil society and security agencies, describing it as “a strong model for transparent and inclusive elections”.

“It’s encouraging to see that things have changed since 2021. The police and mediation committees are now engaging with stakeholders to promote peace and dialogue. From the FCDO’s perspective, we’ll continue to support these efforts to ensure a credible process in Anambra state,” he said.

The dialogue also featured representatives from PLAC, Cleen Foundation, ActionAid, INEC, and other civil society organisations, with discussions focusing on electoral reforms and preparations for the 2027 general elections.

(NAN)