ElectHER, a non-partisan organization operating across Africa to promote gender-inclusive democracy, has successfully completed a two-day engagement in Anambra State. This initiative combined a multi-stakeholder roundtable with an advocacy visit to security agencies, aimed at ensuring a peaceful, secure, and inclusive governorship election scheduled for November 8, 2025.
The stakeholder engagement roundtable took place on Wednesday at the Radisson Onyx Hotel in Awka, gathering representatives from the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies, political parties, civil society, academia, journalists, and grassroots leaders.
The discussions focused on mobilizing voters, enhancing women’s participation, and developing strategies to ensure credible, inclusive, and peaceful elections. This engagement was organized with the support of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme, which collaborates with civil society to strengthen electoral integrity and inclusion.
During the event, Ibijoke Faborode, the Chief Executive Officer of ElectHER, remarked on Anambra State’s historical significance regarding women’s political visibility, tracing back to Dame Virginia Etiaba’s term as Nigeria’s first female governor and the consistently high representation of female legislators.
Faborode further mentioned that a pre-assessment report from ElectHER reveals a stark disparity, noting that despite Anambra’s population of 5.6 million and 5,720 polling units, with women constituting 58 percent of new voter registrants, they currently hold only 0.6 percent of elected positions.
She stated, “There is a glaring gap between voter strength and representation, one that must be urgently closed.
“We cannot allow insecurity and systemic exclusion to silence women in a state where they represent such a significant portion of the electorate.”
Additionally, Zigwai Tagwai, ElectHER’s Democracy and Governance Programmes Lead, emphasized that collaborative efforts among INEC, political parties, the media, and security personnel will be crucial in rebuilding trust and increasing voter turnout.
In their contributions, stakeholders echoed these concerns with practical recommendations.
A stakeholder, Chukwudi Philip, urged the media to intensify fact-checking and avoid amplifying unverified claims.
A journalist named Gabriel Okpaleze advocated for the electronic transmission of results to mitigate delays that often lead to disillusionment. Meanwhile, Ernest Nnoli emphasized the need for a more effective implementation of BVAS technology and a systematic verification of information to combat fake news.
Members of various civil society organizations, including the Development for Community Democracy Advocacy Initiative, the Centre for Development and Empowerment of Knowledge, and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene network, highlighted that misinformation, insecurity, and weak party commitments are significant obstacles to women’s participation.
The dialogue resulted in solid commitments from various agencies involved in the electoral process.
During a visit to the INEC office in Awka, the commission promised to increase the recruitment of ad hoc staff beyond 26,000 and enhance the management of polling units.
Additionally, civil society organizations pledged to focus on voter mobilization and establish citizen hotlines, while media representatives committed to improving ethical reporting. Security agencies also agreed to implement preventive measures at critical locations and adopt gender-sensitive protection strategies.
Political parties were encouraged to conduct issue-based campaigns and tailor their messaging to address the genuine concerns of citizens, such as security, employment, and healthcare, while also ensuring greater visibility for women candidates.
Following the roundtable, ElectHER conducted an advocacy visit to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps office, where State Commandant Maku Olatunde reiterated the Corps’ dedication to ensuring the safety of elections before, during, and after the polling period.
Olatunde further assured that female officers would be sufficiently deployed, emphasizing that inclusivity in security operations is vital for ensuring safe and credible elections in Anambra State.
ElectHER pledged to consolidate the insights from both engagements into advocacy briefs and mobilisation campaigns targeting women and youth, while continuing to champion systemic reforms such as the Independent Candidacy Bill and the Reserved Seats Bill.
