Nigeria’s newly appointed electoral commission chairman, Joash Amupitan, faces an immediate trial by fire with Saturday’s governorship vote in Anambra state, seen as a bellwether for his ability to deliver a clean and credible contest.
Amupitan, a constitutional law professor sworn in last month to replace Mahmood Yakubu, inherits a body long dogged by accusations of bias and logistical failures. The off-cycle election in the southeastern commercial hub marks his first outing at the helm of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“This Anambra governorship election is the first litmus test for the new INEC chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan,” the commission stated in a release. “INEC is fully prepared to conduct a free, fair, credible and peaceful election.”
More than 2.3 million voters are registered to choose among 18 candidates, with the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) incumbent Charles Soludo seeking re-election against strong challengers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party and All Progressives Congress (APC).
INEC pledged enhanced technology and security coordination, deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and real-time result uploads to the IReV portal. “We have trained over 20,000 ad-hoc staff and deployed 4,749 BVAS machines across 5,720 polling units,” the statement added.
Security agencies promised a robust presence after recent clashes between rival supporters. “We will not tolerate any act of violence or intimidation,” Anambra police commissioner Nnaghe Itam warned during a stakeholders’ meeting.
Analysts say a smooth poll could bolster confidence in Amupitan ahead of nationwide local government elections next year, while any repeat of past controversies—delayed materials, vote-buying or result manipulation—risks further eroding public trust in Nigeria’s democratic process.
