The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan has described voter apathy as the greatest enemy to the forthcoming November 8, governorship election in Anambra State.
Amupitan while speaking at a press conference held on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the INEC headquarters in Abuja made an urgent appeal for massive voter turnout for Saturday’s election in Anambra.
Pledging the commission’s committment to delivering a credible and transparent election in Anambra, the INEC chairman urged all registered voters to ensure they come out en masse for the governorship poll.
He said, “The greatest enemy to Anambra’s democracy is not just external violence but voter apathy.”
He also lamented the worrying historical slide in voter participation in the state, saying, “In the 2013 Governorship Election, turnout was only 25.5 per cent, in 2017, it dropped further to 20.10 per cent, and in 2021, the situation deteriorated sharply with a mere 10.27 per cent turnout.”
Amupitan further appealed to all eligible voters in Anambra to ensure they come out and exercise their civic right without fear or favour.
The INEC Chairman also emphasised that democracy only thrives when citizens actively choose their leaders.
Additionally, the Chairman announced that there has been a major success recorded in voter preparedness, especially with the percentage of collected Permanent Voters’ Cards now standing at an “impressive 98.80%.”
He noted that this improvement followed the extension of the PVC collection period approved by the commission.
He added that the PVC collection extension, “yielded excellent results” in the state.
