Lawrence Ndubeze, Awka
Two non-governmental organizations, the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and Catch Them Young Community Initiative (CATYCOI), have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently tackle voter apathy and vote-buying, describing both as serious threats to Nigeria’s electoral integrity.
At a post-election press briefing in Awka, the groups commended INEC and voters for ensuring a largely peaceful governorship election but highlighted persisting challenges that could undermine credibility.
PPDC’s Programme Officer for Access to Justice, Democratic and Electoral Integrity, Abdullahi Adamu, noted that despite the calm atmosphere across the 21 local government areas, low voter turnout and vote-buying remain critical issues affecting public trust in the electoral process.
He said: “Over the course of five days—from November 7 to 11—our teams monitored online civic spaces, campaign activities, misinformation trends, and election-day processes. We also engaged communities, listened to citizens, and tracked reactions after the announcement of results.
“From our observation, we can confidently say that the 2025 Anambra off-cycle governorship election was largely peaceful. The conduct of INEC officials and security personnel contributed significantly to the calm atmosphere, and citizens who came out to vote were able to exercise their rights without major disruption.”
Adamu urged INEC to act decisively to strengthen transparency and restore public confidence in the electoral process.
Presenting the groups’ findings, the Executive Director of CATYCOI, Comrade Nonso Orakwe, said the pre-election period was largely peaceful, with about 78% of online discourse promoting calm participation.
According to him, misinformation was minimal, campaign messages were inclusive, and no major threats were reported—setting a positive tone for election day.
“On election day, INEC officials arrived on time in most areas, though late arrivals in Onitsha South delayed voting. Party agents from major political parties—including the APC, APGA, PDP, LP, YPP, and ADC—were present at polling units. While the BVAS machines functioned well, some newly registered voters could not vote due to name omissions.
“Security personnel maintained professionalism throughout the process. However, vote-buying was observed in multiple LGAs, and voter turnout was notably low across several areas. On a positive note, results were uploaded to the IReV portal faster than in previous elections,” Orakwe said.
He added that post-election reactions were generally peaceful, with community, civil society, and religious leaders urging calm. Online narratives, he noted, were largely supportive, and there were no reports of post-election violence—an indication of growing acceptance of electoral outcomes in the state.
Orakwe, however, described low voter turnout and persistent vote-buying as major issues eroding public trust and undermining the credibility of mandates.
To address these challenges, PPDC and CATYCOI called on INEC, civil society organizations, development partners, and community leaders to strengthen logistical planning, empower grassroots organizations, and intensify voter education to rebuild confidence in the electoral process.
They also urged INEC to strictly enforce anti-vote-buying laws, improve BVAS synchronization for new registrants, and curb online misinformation to enhance the credibility of future elections.
Both organizations commended INEC officials, security agencies, and citizens for maintaining peace during the election, but stressed that voter apathy and money politics now demand collective action to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.
They reaffirmed their commitment to promoting transparency and accountability in the democratic process and appreciated citizens, observers, and the media for supporting a violence-free election.
