ANAMBRA Election – Reports from multiple locations across Anambra State have revealed growing tension as officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were accused of arriving at polling units without displaying or presenting the official result sheets before the commencement of voting.
Observers, party agents, and voters raised alarms in several local government areas, including Nnewi South, Ekwusigo, Idemili North, and parts of Anambra East, over what they described as “a disturbing lack of transparency” by INEC officials.
Observers under the #TNCI Anambra State Elections Mission and other accredited monitoring groups said that in some units, presiding officers either claimed not to have the result sheets or refused to show them when requested.
According to electoral guidelines, INEC officials are required to display the Form EC8A (Result Sheet) before accreditation and voting begin, to prove that the sheet is blank and legitimate.
This process, according to Section 60 of the Electoral Act 2022, is a key transparency safeguard meant to ensure confidence in the recording and collation of votes.
However, reports from field observers suggest widespread non-compliance with this procedure across different parts of the state.
At Ukpor Ward 2, Polling Unit 004 in Nnewi South, an observer told DDM that he personally asked to see the result sheet but was denied access by INEC staff on duty.
“I asked the presiding officer to show me the result sheet, but they refused,” the observer said.
He added that similar incidents were also recorded in neighboring communities where party agents and voters expressed fear that the election materials may have been tampered with before arriving at the polling centres.
Party representatives from the Labour Party (LP), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), and the All Progressives Congress (APC) all called for INEC to intervene urgently to restore public confidence in the process.
Some voters who spoke with DDM in Nnewi, Onitsha, and Awka said they would not vote until the result sheets were presented openly.
“We are ready to vote, but we want to see the result sheet first. That is our right,” one voter said in frustration.
The tension caused temporary disruptions at some polling centres, forcing security agents and election observers to calm agitated voters and assure them that the matter would be reported to the electoral supervisors.
As of press time, INEC had not issued any official statement addressing the growing controversy, but reports indicate that senior officials were in emergency meetings over the complaints.
The #TNCI Observer Mission and the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) confirmed that they were collating complaints from the field and forwarding them to INEC’s Situation Room for immediate investigation.
Analysts say the recurring issues around result sheet presentation, BVAS malfunctions, and logistical lapses have become a recurring pattern in Nigerian elections, threatening the credibility of the process despite INEC’s promises of transparency and reform.
In many parts of Anambra, especially Awka South, Njikoka, and Orumba North, voting continued under tight security, though delays were reported in several units due to administrative bottlenecks.
Citizens and civil society organizations have called on INEC to address the issue swiftly and ensure that every polling unit adheres to proper election procedures before the close of voting.
For many voters, the failure to show result sheets before voting not only undermines trust but also raises fears of post-election manipulation and credibility challenges once collation begins.
The #AnambraDecides2025 election, though peaceful in most areas, continues to be overshadowed by logistical complaints, scattered violence, and allegations of irregularities across the state.