• Confirms Ondo governorship election preparations
'Seun Ibukun-Oni, Abuja
DAILY COURIER - The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has reaffirmed the Commission's readiness for the Ondo State gubernatorial election, scheduled for November 16, 2024. He also revealed that the 2025 Anambra State governorship election will be held on Saturday, November 8, 2025.
Yakubu made these remarks during INEC's fourth quarterly consultative meeting with political parties at its headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, October 17, 2024.
Yakubu highlighted the Commission's commitment to transparency and efficiency, confirming that the preparation for the Ondo election is nearing completion. Of the 13 key activities listed in the Timetable and Schedule for the election, 10 have already been successfully completed. This includes the presentation of the voter register to political parties, which was carried out earlier in the week at INEC’s Ondo State office.
“Today, we have just 29 days left until the Ondo election, and we are on track to ensure a smooth and credible election process,” Yakubu stated, emphasizing the significance of the upcoming election in further solidifying the democratic process in Nigeria.
PVC Collection and Polling Agents Compliance
In addition to the progress made in preparation for the Ondo election, Yakubu announced that the collection of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for newly registered voters in Ondo commenced on October 17, 2024, and will continue at ward levels until October 21, 2024. After this period, collection will move to INEC’s Local Government Area offices from October 23 to October 29. Yakubu encouraged political parties to actively mobilize registered voters to collect their PVCs, noting that the names and addresses of the 221 collection centers have been uploaded to INEC’s website for public reference.
Regarding party agents, the INEC Chairman expressed satisfaction with the compliance of political parties, confirming that all 24,148 polling and collation agents for the Ondo election have been duly uploaded to the Commission’s portal. INEC is working to ensure that identification tags are delivered to the agents in time for the election.
2025 Anambra Governorship Election Schedule
Prof. Yakubu also announced that the Anambra State governorship election will take place on November 8, 2025, with the formal notice of the election to be issued on November 13, 2024. This timeline complies with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which mandates that INEC issue election notices no later than 360 days before the election date. Party primaries for the Anambra election will be conducted from March 20 to April 10, 2025, while the final list of candidates will be published on June 9, 2025.
Yakubu advised political parties to align their timetables with INEC’s schedule to avoid last-minute rushes and ensure smooth planning for primaries, campaigns, and other electoral activities. “By aligning your schedules with ours, we can work together to plan better for the deployment of personnel and resources, and this will help prevent missing deadlines,” he urged party leaders.
Call for Collaboration and Voter Mobilization
The INEC Chairman called on political parties to work closely with the Commission to ensure successful elections in both Ondo and Anambra. He stressed the importance of voter education, mobilization, and the need for issue-based campaigns. The Commission, he said, will continue to provide updates on voter registration, transfers, and the replacement of lost or damaged PVCs as the elections approach.
The detailed timetable and schedule for the Anambra governorship election will be uploaded to INEC’s website and social media platforms shortly, and hard copies were distributed to the party leaders present at the meeting.
The consultative meeting concluded with a commitment to maintain open channels of communication between INEC and political parties as preparations for the Ondo and Anambra governorship elections move forward.
Political parties in attendance include: IPAC and APM Chairman, Yusuf Dantali, APC National Chairman, Dr Umar Abdullahi Ganduje; Action Alliance, Kenneth Udenze; ADP, Sani Yagbagi, ZLP, Chief Dan Nwanyanwu Labour Party, Accord, AAC, ADC, APGA, Boot Party, PRP, and YPP.