Yiaga Africa Tasks Security Agencies on Credible Anambra Governorship Election

By Ukpa Ewa

Yiaga Africa has urged security agencies to ensure adequate protection of voters and electoral materials ahead of the November 8, 2025 Anambra governorship election.

Speaking at a roundtable with media, civil society organizations, women and youth groups in Awka, Yiaga Africa’s Programme Manager, Cynthia Mbamalu said security of lives and property is critical for citizens to freely exercise their franchise. She warned that vigilante groups must not become a threat to residents, stressing that governors have a constitutional role to support the police to function effectively.

She identified Ihiala, Nnewi and Orumba North as potential hotspots that require special attention and called for better coordination and professionalism among security agencies. Mbamalu also decried vote buying and political thuggery, noting they undermine public trust in elections.

On election monitoring, Yiaga Africa’s Head of Knowledge Management and Learning, Safiya Bichi, said the organization’s Watching the Vote project will deploy 250 observers with European Union support.

She explained that Yiaga Africa will use the Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology, a citizen led observation tool that applies statistics and technology to provide real time reports from polling units and verify whether results announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) truly reflect the votes cast.

In their separate speeches, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Chairman Anambra State Council Comrade Emeka Odogwu pledged media partnership in reporting security and election issues, while the National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) President, Lady Theresa Nnalue, urged women to turn out and vote and desist from selling their votes.