By Caroline Ameh
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the timeline for political parties to conduct and nominate candidates for the upcoming governorship election in Anambra State. The process is set to commence on March 20, 2025, and will conclude on April 10, 2025.
The announcement was made on Thursday by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, through a press statement issued in Abuja following the Commission’s weekly meeting. The meeting was part of preparations for the off-cycle governorship election in Anambra, scheduled for Saturday, November 8, 2025.
According to Olumekun, early preparations will enable INEC to efficiently monitor the primaries in compliance with Section 84 of the Electoral Act 2022. He emphasized the importance of political parties adhering strictly to the approved schedule to avoid disruptions.
“So far, 12 out of the 19 registered political parties in the country have submitted their detailed schedules for the primaries,” the statement revealed. However, seven parties are yet to provide the required details, and INEC urged them to comply promptly.
The electoral body warned against last-minute changes to the dates, venues, and modes of primaries, noting that such alterations lead to avoidable demobilization and remobilization of its monitoring staff, thereby affecting workflow and increasing operational costs.
Recall that, in line with Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, the Commission published the Notice of Election on November 13, 2024, over 360 days before the election date,” the statement added.
INEC reassured stakeholders of its commitment to conducting a transparent, free, and credible electoral process while urging political parties to strictly follow the outlined timeline.
