The Independent National Electoral Commission has approved 121 domestic and international observer groups to monitor the forthcoming Anambra State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.
The commission announced the development in an advertisement published on Monday, listing both local and foreign organisations cleared to assess the conduct of the off-cycle poll.
Among the accredited international observers are the British High Commission, the European Union, and the High Commission of Canada, while local groups such as Yiaga Africa Initiative, The Electoral Hub, and the Centre for Democracy and Development were also granted approval.
According to INEC, the accreditation process aims to ensure that credible and experienced organisations take part in assessing the transparency and fairness of the exercise.
“Observer participation is essential in promoting transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the electoral process,” an INEC official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly, told The Punch.
The observers are expected to monitor voting, collation, and result declaration processes and later submit independent reports on the conduct of the election in line with global democratic standards.
INEC further disclosed that 2.8 million voters are registered to participate in the November poll, adding that 16 political parties met the May 12 submission deadline and will field candidates. The electoral body has also released the final list of candidates and confirmed that campaign activities have officially commenced.
Reacting to the development, a representative of one of the accredited observer groups, Yiaga Africa, described INEC’s accreditation as “a positive step toward building trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.”
“Our role is to provide objective assessment of the process, from logistics to the credibility of results. Nigerians deserve elections that truly reflect their votes,” the representative said.
The Anambra governorship election is one of several off-cycle elections taking place across Nigeria, and it is expected to serve as a major test of INEC’s commitment to credible polls ahead of future national elections.
