INEC Fixes November 8, 2025 For Anambra Guber Poll

 The Independent National Elec­toral Commission (INEC) has an­nounced November 8, 2025, as the date for the off-cycle governorship election in Anambra State.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mah­mood Yakubu, said this on Thurs­day in Abuja at an extraordinary meeting with leaders of the na­tion’s registered political parties, which, he said, would be the last in its regular quarterly consultative meetings with political parties for 2024.

He said a formal notice for the election will be published on No­vember 13, 2024.

Yakubu said the commission expects the parties to conduct their primaries between March 20, 2025 and April 10, 2025, while the candidate nomination portal will open at 9:00a.m on April 18, 2025 and close at 6:00p.m on May 12, 2025.

The INEC chairman said the final list of candidates will be published on June 9, 2025, while campaigns in public by political parties will commence on June 11, 2025 and end at midnight on Thursday, November 6, 2025.

“I have repeatedly said that there is no election season in Nigeria any longer. Recently, our regular meetings have come on the eve of major elections. With just 29 days (or four weeks) to the Ondo State governorship election, today’s meeting is no exception.

“Only two days ago, the com­mission presented the register of voters to political parties in our state office in Akure. With this development, we have success­fully accomplished 10 out of the 13 activities listed in the timetable and schedule of activities for the election.

“The remaining activities are the publication of the notice of poll, the last day of campaign and election day,” Yakubu said.

He said even as the commis­sion prepares for the Ondo State governorship election, it is always mindful of its responsibilities for elections and electoral activities.

He said for instance, Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 re­quires the commission to issue the notice for elections not later than 360 days before the date of the election.

He said, “This applies to the general as well as off-cycle gov­ernorship elections. As you are aware, the last governorship elec­tion in Anambra State was held on 6th November 2021. By the ef­fluxion of time, the governorship election is due next year.

“Consequently, the commis­sion has approved that the 2025 Anambra State governorship election will hold on Saturday 8th November 2025. In compliance with the mandatory requirement of 360 days, the formal notice for the election will be published on 13th November 2024,” Yakubu said.

Speaking on behalf of the political parties, National Chair­man, Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf Mamman Dantelle, reiterated its demand for the scrapping of the State Inde­pendent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), as elections conducted by SIECS are a sham, thus SIECs are a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s democracy.

“It is not just a coronation of the candidates of a ruling party in the state, it is daylight robbery of people’s votes and mandates for chairmanship and councilor positions. In place of SIECs INEC should conduct all local govern­ment elections in Nigeria as it does for federal and state elections. There is no need to create another body to conduct local government polls,” he said.