Anambra Election: Police Restrict Movement Ahead of Governorship Poll

By Emiola Osifeso

The Anambra State Police Command has announced a restriction on the movement of people and vehicles across the state during the governorship election scheduled for November 8. The order covers all 326 electoral wards.

In a statement signed by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, the restriction will run from midnight (12:00 a.m.) to 6:00 p.m. on Election Day. The ban applies to all types of vehicles, private cars, commercial buses, trucks, tricycles (Keke), motorcycles (Okada), and shuttle buses. All roads in Anambra, including interstate highways, fall under the directive.

Ikenga explained that the decision was taken after a meeting of heads of security agencies in the state, held at the Police Headquarters in Awka on Thursday. He said the aim is to prevent the movement of political thugs and criminal groups who may attempt to destabilise the election.

He also advised travellers whose journey requires them to pass through Anambra to consider alternative routes during the hours of restriction.

However, those on essential duties will be allowed to move. These include INEC officials, accredited journalists and observers, medical workers, emergency responders, and other critical service providers, provided they have valid identification and official tags.

Ikenga urged both residents and road users to obey the directive, noting that it is part of measures to ensure peace, safeguard lives and property, and guarantee a credible election.

Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that out of the 2,802,790 registered voters in Anambra, a total of 2,769,137 representing 98.8% have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of Saturday’s poll.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, announced this at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday. He described the PVC collection turnout as remarkable.

Amupitan said that after the voter register was cleaned and concluded on September 4, the commission noticed that only about 63.9% of voters had picked up their cards. INEC then extended the collection window from October 29 to November 2 across all 326 Registration Areas.

According to him, the extension produced outstanding results, pushing the collection rate to 98.8%. He added that all uncollected PVCs will be secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria until after the election.