The European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) has marshaled a formidable deployment of personnel and resources to monitor the Anambra State governorship election scheduled for this Saturday, November 8, 2025.
This extensive observation effort underscores the international community’s commitment to ensuring a credible, inclusive, and transparent electoral process in the state, which has historically faced security and logistical challenges during polls.
Focus on Inclusivity and Integrity
The EU-SDGN mission involves a multi-cluster approach, going beyond traditional monitoring to focus heavily on specific aspects of the electoral process such as:
Process and Results Verification: A significant team of observers is being deployed in partnership with local Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) to conduct parallel vote tabulation and ensure the integrity of the results transmission process.
A dedicated group of 150 trained observers and 25 Sign Language Interpreters are being deployed to polling units with high numbers of persons with disabilities (PWDs). This pilot scheme aims to remove communication barriers and promote accessibility for all voters.
Additional observation personnel are tracking women’s participation as voters, party agents, candidates, and polling officials to document barriers to female inclusion in the democratic process.
While reports have circulated citing a deployment figure as high as 687, official sources from the EU-SDGN confirm the mission comprises hundreds of field personnel, including accredited observers, specialized interpreters, data analysts, and trainers drawn from its various implementing partner CSOs. This combined effort is designed to provide comprehensive coverage across the state’s 21 Local Government Areas.
The EU-SDGN mission has already presented a comprehensive pre-election assessment report urging INEC and security agencies to prioritize enforcement against vote-buying and to maintain strict impartiality, signaling their readiness to hold all stakeholders accountable for the conduct of the pivotal poll.
