The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN), has appealed to political parties and candidates to honour the peace accord ahead of the November 8 Anambra governorship election.
Speaking during the signing of the peace accord in Awka on Monday, Professor Amupitan commended the National Peace Committee (NPC), led by former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar (GCFR), for its unwavering commitment to promoting peaceful elections across the country.
According to him, “It is not the signatures on this document that guarantee peace; it is the genuine commitment to honouring its provisions. Without peace, logistics will be disrupted, our personnel and materials put at risk, and ultimately, the credibility of the process undermined.”
He urged candidates and political parties to ensure that the message of peace cascades down to their supporters at all levels, describing it as the best way to honour the efforts of the Peace Committee.
The INEC Chairman noted that the peace accord, which was initially reserved for presidential elections, was extended to off-cycle governorship polls five years ago following a request by the Commission.
He recalled that the first state-level peace accord was signed in Edo in 2020, followed by similar exercises in Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti, Osun, Bayelsa, Imo, Kogi, and Edo again in 2024.
“Encouragingly, parties and candidates largely honoured their commitments under the accord, contributing to peaceful outcomes despite pre-election anxieties,” he said.
Reaffirming INEC’s readiness for the poll, Professor Amupitan disclosed that the Commission had engaged officials, transport providers, and security agencies to fine-tune deployment arrangements for about 24,000 personnel and election materials across 5,718 polling units, 326 ward collation centres, 21 local government collation centres, and the state collation centre in Awka.
He revealed that a total of 2,802,790 voters have been approved on the final register for the election and that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) was extended till Sunday, 2nd November 2025, to encourage maximum voter participation.
Amupitan restated INEC’s commitment to credible and transparent elections, warning that any individuals or groups attempting to subvert the will of the people would face the full weight of the law.
On security arrangements, he announced that the Nigeria Police Force would deploy 45,000 personnel, while the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) would deploy 10,250 officers, alongside other security agencies.
“With the Peace Accord being signed today, the proactive efforts of security agencies, and the valuable contributions of traditional rulers, community and religious leaders, civil society, the media, and other stakeholders, we are confident, by God’s grace, that the 2025 Anambra Governorship Election will be peaceful and successful.
