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…Calls for Massive Voter Turnout

As the November 8, 2025 governorship election in Anambra State draws near, the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (InterSociety) has issued a strong warning to the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigerian Armed Forces to avoid any form of intimidation, militarization, or weaponization of the voting environment.

The advocacy group, which has been a prominent voice for democratic governance and civil liberties in Nigeria since its founding in 2008, expressed deep concern that threatening statements and displays of force by security personnel could significantly discourage the participation of the state’s 2.82 million registered voters, more than 2.5 million of whom hold valid Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).

In a statement signed by Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist and Researcher, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Human Rights Lawyer and Head of the Department of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, and Chidinma Udegbunam, Human Rights Lawyer and Head of the Department of Campaign and Publicity, InterSociety called on the authorities at the Anambra State Police Command, Zone 13 Police Zonal Headquarters in Ukpo, the Nigerian Naval Base in Ogbaru, the Nigerian Army’s 302 Artillery Regiment in Onitsha, and the 82 Division Headquarters in Enugu to exercise extreme restraint.

The organization urged these agencies to ensure that pre-election and election-day security operations are intelligence-driven, tactically discreet, and scientifically coordinated to protect voters and safeguard their constitutional right to participate in free and fair elections.

The statement specifically highlighted the dangers of what it described as “gun-culture threats” and the historical use of force by security agencies in previous Anambra governorship elections. InterSociety noted that, over the years, militarization of polling environments, including the deployment of armored vehicles, RPGs, explosives, and heavily armed personnel engaging in war songs and issuing death-threatening rhetoric, has repeatedly discouraged voters from exercising their franchise.

The group recalled incidents in which individuals were publicly paraded after arrest, stripped partially naked, physically assaulted, and later released, often traumatized and compelled to warn others to stay away from the polls. Such tactics, the organization emphasized, have consistently contributed to Anambra’s reputation as the state with the lowest voter turnout in the South-East despite high registration figures, creating an environment where vulnerable voters are effectively disenfranchised by fear.

The group further warned that threats of “fire and brimstone” on air could undermine the ability of voters to freely cast their votes, cautioning that continued intimidation could reduce participation and prevent citizens from electing candidates of their choice.

“These gun-culture threats, if continued, are capable of scaring away many, if not most of the 2.5 million PVC holders, preventing them from voting for candidates of their choice and potentially reducing Anambra to the status of the lowest voting State in Nigeria,” the statement read.

InterSociety also recounted the history of low voter turnout in Anambra State, illustrating the persistent challenge of citizen disengagement due to intimidation, administrative irregularities, and structural deficiencies. In the 1999 presidential and governorship elections, out of 2.2 million registered voters, only 1.02 million participated, representing 46 percent.

In April 2003, the governorship election recorded about 235,000 votes from 1.8 million registered voters, even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) posted over 1.3 million cast votes, resulting in a protracted legal battle that lasted until March 2006. Subsequent elections demonstrated similar patterns of low engagement, with only 302,000 valid votes cast in 2010 from 1.84 million registered voters, and 465,891 votes in 2013 from 1.77 million registered voters. In 2017, just 448,711 voters out of 2.064 million participated, while the 2021 governorship election recorded a mere 253,388 valid votes from 2.466 million registered voters, representing about 10.5 percent turnout. With 2.82 million registered voters and over 2.5 million PVC holders in 2025, InterSociety emphasized the urgent need to protect the integrity of the electoral process and ensure maximum participation.

Beyond the electoral advocacy, InterSociety commended the Speaker of the Anambra State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Somtochukwu Udeze, PhD, for his efforts in attracting development projects to his Ogbaru constituency since 2023.

Among these are road reconstruction projects, including the recently awarded contract for Upper Acha Street and School Road in Iyiowa Layout, valued at N2.3 billion, as well as renovations of teachers’ quarters, installation of solar streetlights, provision of boreholes to schools and churches, educational grants for undergraduates, and palliative measures for community roads such as School Road and Mission Road.

The group highlighted eleven notable development projects in Ogbaru attributed to the Speaker’s advocacy and collaboration with the state government.

However, InterSociety urged urgent attention to infrastructural deficits in the constituency, including the rehabilitation of Iyiowa-Market-Ihitenansa-New Road (Abazuonu)-Ibekwe-Lower Acha-Madonna Catholic Church Road, which was originally constructed under the Obi administration in 2012-2013 but has since failed.

The organization also highlighted the collapse of sanitary facilities in several public schools, notably at Community Secondary School, Atani, where abandoned construction work, vandalism, and theft of school property, including laboratory equipment and air conditioners, have created unsafe learning conditions. Similar concerns were raised for Iyiowa Community Primary School, which has suffered prolonged flooding and building dilapidation.

InterSociety stressed the need for proper security measures, fencing, and ongoing rehabilitation to ensure a safe and conducive educational environment for students in Ogbaru.

The advocacy group concluded by calling on all indigenes and residents of Anambra State to exercise their democratic rights without fear or intimidation, underscoring that full participation in the electoral process is essential for sustaining democracy.

“We call on the 2.5 million PVC holders to come out and vote massively without fear of intimidation,” the statement read. It further urged the authorities to ensure that voters can freely elect candidates of their choice, free from threats, harassment, or militarized interference.

Signed on behalf of the International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, Emeka Umeagbalasi, Criminologist and Researcher, Obianuju Joy Igboeli, Esquire, Human Rights Lawyer and Head of the Department of Civil Liberties and Rule of Law, and Chidinma Udegbunam, Esquire, Human Rights Lawyer and Head of the Department of Campaign and Publicity, emphasized their continued commitment to promoting civil liberties, the rule of law, and electoral integrity in Anambra State and across Nigeria.

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