Reported by Ariajegbe Sylvia Esezobor
The Independent National Electoral Commission in Anambra State has deployed 5,720 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System machines to cover the state's 5,720 polling units ahead of the 2027 general elections, declaring that it is 80 per cent ready for the polls and warning political parties and their candidates against any attempt to disrupt the electoral process. The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Anambra State, Dr Queen Elizabeth Agwu, disclosed the deployment during a stakeholders' engagement meeting at the commission's headquarters in Awka on Friday, October 9, 2026.
"We have been able to procure about 5,720 BVAS and some reserve machines for the 5,720 polling units in the state," Agwu said. "We have done an infrastructure audit to ensure the smoothness of the 2027 polls." She said the commission had also procured additional units to be held in reserve in case of malfunction during the elections. The REC disclosed that approximately 22,280 ad hoc staff would be deployed for the exercise, and that online training for the ad hoc personnel would commence the following week. She said the commission had continued to train its staff at various stages because, as technology improved, the commission was adapting to technological developments. It had also upgraded its Information and Communications Technology equipment and relocated its offices from local government secretariats to new locations to curb electoral malpractice.
The stakeholders' meeting was attended by representatives of political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, non-governmental organisations, community and religious leaders, and the media. Agwu said the commission was ready with materials and everything else, and she was unequivocal about what the electorate should expect. "There will be no glitch in this one. There will be no preference for anyone. The candidate who scores the goal will be the winner. We have enough security, but if you are planning to cause trouble, have a rethink," she said. She emphasised that the commission had begun regular training of its personnel and had started the rehabilitation and construction of its local government area offices across the state.
The REC announced that the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards had commenced on Friday, October 9, and would end on October 15, 2026. She said the exercise was for those who registered during the Continuous Voter Registration exercise between January and July 2026, and that collection was free of charge. "You don't need to offer any INEC staff or any ad hoc staff money to collect your PVC," she said. She urged residents to visit the commission's headquarters or designated centres to check the displayed register for their names and collect their cards. Agwu also disclosed that the commission had procured adequate vehicles and other electoral materials for the smooth conduct of the elections, and that the names of those who registered between January and July had been published for verification.
The REC used the occasion to issue a firm warning to political parties and their candidates against vote buying and other forms of electoral malpractice. She said the commission would prosecute anyone who offered money to INEC staff to influence the electoral process. "Go and do your homework, but if you want a shortcut, there is none. It's not possible or feasible to destroy somebody's destiny," she said. On vote buying, Agwu placed the responsibility on political parties, saying they must put their houses in order and conduct themselves responsibly to ensure a credible and transparent electoral process. She urged them to embark on issue-based campaigns with realistic promises rather than making empty pledges. "Political parties must embark on messages and realistic promises about what they had done before and what the people should expect from them once they win their elections," she said.
The REC also revealed that the commission was closely monitoring political parties on their financial spending. She urged them to plan well and conduct themselves with decorum, and she expressed disappointment that political parties had yet to begin campaigning for the 2027 elections, raising questions about their preparedness for the polls. "Start your campaigns and stop tempting our staff with money," she advised. Agwu said the 2027 general elections would bring to six the number of elections conducted in Anambra State under her watch without hitches, and she expressed confidence that there would be no technical glitches on election day.
The deployment of BVAS machines in Anambra forms part of the commission's nationwide preparations for the 2027 general elections, which are scheduled for January 16, 2027, with the governorship and state assembly elections following on February 6. The commission has acquired 57,000 new BVAS devices nationwide, with software hardening, battery optimisation and biometric calibration completed to strengthen accreditation and prevent manipulation. A nationwide audit of BVAS inventory has been concluded, and a six-day stress-testing exercise across all configured devices is scheduled for late October, culminating in a nationwide mock accreditation exercise in November 2026. The commission has also integrated automated artificial intelligence auditing tools into its verification process under a five-pillar AI governance framework operating under mandatory human oversight.
Anambra State, with its 5,720 polling units and 21 local government areas, is one of the key battlegrounds in the South-East geopolitical zone. The state is the home of former Anambra Governor Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, and Governor Chukwuma Soludo has endorsed President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for a second term on the All Progressives Congress platform. The 2027 elections will test the commission's preparations and the willingness of political actors to conduct themselves peacefully. As Agwu put it, INEC is there to provide a level playing field, and the candidate who scores the goal will be the winner. The coming months will determine whether the commission's preparations translate into the credible elections that Nigerians have long demanded.
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