An election monitoring group, Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), has raised concerns over declining voter participation in Anambra State, despite steady growth in voter registration over the past eight years.
According to the organisation, which operates under the Strengthening Electoral Accountability Project, while more citizens are registering to vote, actual turnout on election day has dropped by over 58 per cent, a trend it described as a sign of growing voter apathy and diminishing confidence in the electoral system.
Bukola Idowu, KDI’s Executive Director, revealed the findings during a pre-election press briefing in Awka on Friday. She outlined the organization’s assessment of key pre-election dynamics, including potential risks and opportunities for ensuring transparent and peaceful polls.
Idowu highlighted several areas of concern, including low voter turnout, the readiness of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), logistical challenges, election security, and hotspot mapping.
She noted that these insights were gathered through a combination of data-driven research, stakeholder consultations, and on-the-ground observations across the state.
She said, “As part of our commitment to advancing democratic integrity, transparency, and peaceful participation, KDI has been closely monitoring the electoral environment in Anambra State through data-driven research, stakeholder engagement, and on-ground observation under our Nigeria Election Violence Education and Resolution project.
“Our pre-election assessment highlights key trends, risks, and opportunities for ensuring credible and violence-free polls. Declining voter turnout – In Anambra, voter turnout has fallen by over 58 per cent in the last eight years, despite consistent growth in voter registration.
“It will appear that voter turnout is falling at the same rate at which voter registration was growing. This means that while more citizens are registering to vote, fewer are turning out on election day, a troubling trend that points to deepening voter apathy and declining trust in the electoral process.
“To better understand this decline, KDI conducted a detailed analysis and discovered that although Anambra North Senatorial recorded the highest number of registered voters, it has consistently produced the lowest voter turnout in the state.
“While insecurity contributes to low voter turnout in the state generally, Anambra South, which has historically experienced higher levels of insecurity, still recorded comparatively better turnout rates. KDI’s findings suggest that other factors contribute to the low participation in Anambra North, including logistical and geographical challenges.
“Some local governments in the district, such as Anambra East, Anambra West, and Ogbaru, are largely riverine and made up of hard-to-reach communities, with a higher voter-to-polling-unit ratio than other districts. These factors have contributed significantly to voter fatigue, disenfranchisement, and the persistent low turnout in the region.”
The group warned that these areas require urgent attention to prevent Anambra from facing another low voter turnout in Saturday’s governorship election.
“While the INEC has demonstrated logistical readiness, some operational gaps persist. KDI’s comparative analysis of
INEC’s preparedness for the 2025 Anambra Governorship Election against the 2024 Ondo off-cycle election reveals a mixed outlook on operational readiness.
“The training of ad-hoc officials concluded only on November 6, 2025, two days before the election, compared to a timelier completion in Ondo 2024, which left no room for mock drills or refresher sessions, limiting INEC’s ability to evaluate the competence of ad-hoc personnel and replace unfit or unavailable staff ahead of election day.
“KDI’s hotspot mapping analysis for the 2025 Anambra governorship election indicated that while the overall security risk across the state remains moderate, several localised flashpoints persist in areas historically prone to electoral tension, political rivalry, and voter intimidation,” Idowu stated.
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She noted that Aguata and Ihiala LGAs are classified as severe-risk areas, with a high likelihood of violence or disruptions on election day. Nnewi North, Nnewi South, and Ogbaru LGAs were identified as high-risk, while the remaining local government areas are considered moderate-risk.
Idowu explained that LGAs marked as severe or high risk are more prone to election-related disturbances, including logistical delays, voter suppression, and violent clashes, if proactive measures are not implemented.
Earlier, TVC News Digital reported that Yiaga Africa had also flagged potential risks ahead of the Anambra governorship election, deploying at least 687 observers to monitor the polls effectively on Saturday. The group’s pre-election assessment highlighted possible security threats in Orumba North, Orumba South, Ogbaru, Ihiala, Nnewi South, and Aguata LGAs.
“These LGAs are considered potential hotspots, with some communities under threat from non-state armed groups, which would require more deliberate and intelligence-informed security deployment,” the report stated.
Idowu further stated, “Security deployments should prioritise visible but non-intimidating presence in identified flashpoints, timely intelligence sharing, and rapid response coordination to ensure the safety of voters, election officials, and materials across all 21 LGAs.
“KDl expects a largely peaceful election but emphasises that the credibility of the process will depend on timely deployment, transparent procedures, and restraint by political actors and their supporters. We call
on eligible voters to come out peacefully, exercise their civic rights, and resist any attempt to disrupt the process or sell their votes.
“KDI will continue to monitor and report election-day developments through the NEVER Project and will
release a mid-day situation update and a post-election statement after the polls. Together, let us safeguard the integrity of the 2025 Anambra governorship election and strengthen public trust in Nigeria’s democracy,” Idowu added.
