Wetin be di big talking points ahead of Anambra governorship election?

Evritin don set for di guvnorship election for Anambra State, southeast Nigeria, wey go shele for 8 November, 2025.

Di incumbent govnor of di State, Chukwuma Soludo – wey be di bifor-bifor govnor of di Central Bank of Nigeria - go face 15 oda candidates wey dey drag di office for am as e wan do im second term.

Anambra State dey very strategic for Nigeria bicos na one of di major link states wey dey join di southeastern region of Nigeria to di oda parts of di kontri, so plenty pipo dey always chook eye about wetin dey happun dia.

As di election day don almost reach, dis tori na to breakdown di major factors wey go shape dis election and wetin you suppose sabi:

First test for new Inec Chairman

Dis election go be di first ogbonge assignment for di new Chairman of di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) Joash Amupitan.

Oga Amupitan wey be Professor of Law and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, take over from Prof Mahmood Yakubu who im time for office get some controversy especially as "technical glitch" bin almost pour sand for garri for di 2023 general election.

For im speech during im clearance session for di Nigeria Senate, oga Amupitan promise say im leadership of Inec go strengthen di integrity of elections for Nigeria.

All eyes dey on am, wit dis Anambra State election, to know weda e go back up im plenty tok wit action.

16 Candidates – One winner

Inec don clear a total of 16 pipo - two women and 14 men - for dis election, including di incumbent govnor, Charles Souldo, who dey run for im second tenure.

Some of di contestants na pipo wey bin don run for di position for previous elections and dem go dey hope say dis time fit be dia time.

Di name of di candidates and dia party dey as follows:

Ova 50,000 personnel to provide security

Di Nigeria Police Force say dem go deploy 45,000 of dia officers and men to guarantee safety during di election period.

"All di vigilante groups and all di oda agencies of di states no go dey allowed to play any role during dis election," according to Abayomi Shogunle who be di oga of Elections Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation unit.

Shogunle tok dis one for one meeting of Inec and security pipo to prepare for di Anambra election.

E say di police operation for di state go begin from di start of November to make sure say all di pipo go try to cause trouble go dey disarmed, arrested, and prosecuted.

Also, Ahmed Audi, di Commandant General of di Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), say dem go also send 10,250 personnel for di Anambra election.

Security, economy na major issues

Plenty sabi pipo for politics matter say di most important talking point for dis election go be about di security and economic situation for Anambra State.

Di state don witness plenty violent attacks in recent times sake of di activities of jaguda pipo wey citizens of di state don nickname "unknown gunmen."

Kidnapping for ransom, cult-related killings, ritual murders for purpose of quick money and oda violent crimes don dey reported several times.

During di 2021 govnorship campaign period, kidnappers gbab di Labour Party guvnorship canidate Obiora Agbasimelo, and till today, nobody don see am dead or alive.

Also, less dan one year afta dat election, for September 2022, gunmen attack Ifeanyi Ubah who bin contest di guvnorship on top YPP and kill im police security pipo. Wetin save am na im bullet proof car.

Early dis year, di state guvment introduce one new security outfit wey dem call 'Agunechemba', and dem also launch 'Operation Udogachi' to tackle di plenty insecurity.

"Di entire security architecture for Anambra State be like say e no dey work. Even our pipo wey dey do business outside Anambra no fit go home, and e dey affect di economy," George Muoghalu, candidate of di Labour Party, tok for interview wit BBC Pidgin.

Di Nigeria Police Force say dem go deploy 45,000 of dia officers and men to guarantee safety during di election period, while di Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) go also send 10,250 personnel.

About di economy, di weekly Monday sit-at-home situation for Anambra State, especially for di commercial city of Onitsha, na still big concern.

Dis sit-at-home situation na sake of di Indigenous Pipo of Biafra (Ipob), di group wey dey fight make southeast Nigeria break out and bicom dia own independent kontri wey im name go be Biafra.

Dem start di sit-at-home- since August of 2021 to protest di arrest of dia leader Nnamdi Kanu who di Nigeria govment bin arrest for Kenya and bring am back to Nigeria by force to face trial.

Even though Ipob don cancel di sit-at-home order, plenty armed groups wey say dem dey loyal to Kanu dey still enforce am violently, so pipo dey fear to come out on Mondays.

Di situation dey different for di capital city Awka, but Onitsha – wey dey popular across West Africa for di ogbonge commercial activities wey dey go on dia – dey look like ghost towns evri Monday.

Guvnor Soludo don even try to force pipo to start opening dia shops on Mondays and threaten to seal di shops of anibodi wey refuse to open but fear still no dey allow pipo to disobey di sit-at-home order.

Dis situation don cost Anambra State and di southeast region billions of Naira in revenue loss according to official govment figures, and e don affect di reputation of Onitsha as major trading hub for Nigeria.

Di pesin wey go win dis election go get plenty work to do to change dis.

History of Anambra elections since 1999

Anambra State dey very special for election matter for Nigeria bicos na di state be di first wey start off-season election for Nigeria since di kontri return to democratic rule in 1999.

E start wen di Supreme Court declare Peter Obi winner of di 2003 govnorship election, three years afta di Independent National Electoral Commission (Inec) bin don declare Chris Ngige of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) winner and dem swear am in.

Obi also go to court and get judgement say im four-year tenure start on di day wey e take di oath of office. Since dat time, many oda states wia similar tin bin happen don also get election calendars wey dey different from di general election period wey Nigeria dey run.