The police have ordered a restriction on human and vehicular movements in Anambra State for the governorship election on November 8, in the 326 electoral wards of the state.
The directive applies to all forms of motorised transportation, including private vehicles, commercial vehicles, trucks, tricycles (Keke), motorcycles (Okada) and shuttle buses.
In a statement issued by the State Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ikenga Tochukwu, the restriction of movement in and out of and within the state would be effective from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Election Day. According to Tobechukwu, the directive covers all roads within the state, including interstate highways.
Ikenga pointed out that the measure follows a unanimous decision reached during a meeting of Security Service Commanders in Anambra State, which took place at the Police State Headquarters in Awka on Thursday.
He explained that the restriction is intended to prevent the movement of political thugs and other criminal elements who might attempt to disrupt the electoral process.
The command’s spokesperson further advised interstate travellers whose routes pass through Anambra State to use alternative routes during the restriction period.
He emphasised that only persons on essential duties would be exempted from the restriction.
“These include designated INEC officials, accredited journalists and election observers, medical personnel, emergency responders, and essential service providers”, he said
According to him, such persons must carry valid identification and official clearance tags at all times to avoid unnecessary inconvenience.
Ikenga urged residents and motorists to comply fully with the directive, noting that the restriction is a security measure designed to protect lives and property, maintain public order, and ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process.
He also appealed to the electorate to remain law-abiding and cooperate with security personnel deployed across the state to enforce the directive and ensure the smooth conduct of the election.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says 2,769,137 out of 2,802,790 registered voters in Anambra, representing 98.8 per cent, collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Saturday governorship election in the state.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, at a news conference in Abuja on Thursday, described the turnout for PVC collection as “a significant achievement” for any election in Nigeria.
He noted that the commission’s decision to extend the deadline for collecting the cards across all 326 Registration Areas enabled nearly every eligible voter to obtain their card.
“Following the conclusion of voter registration and a thorough database clean-up, the commission finalised a register of 2,802,790 voters for this election on Sept. 4. Initially, only 63.9 per cent of voters had collected their PVCs.
“To close this gap, INEC extended the PVC collection period from Wednesday, Oct. 29 to Sunday, Nov. 2, ensuring collection centres were open across all 326 Registration Areas (Wards).
“I am delighted to share a success story today: that extension has yielded excellent results. The percentage of collected PVCs to registered voters now stands at an impressive 98.80 per cent.
“This is a significant collection rate for any election in Nigeria, and it sends a clear signal. All uncollected cards will now be safely retrieved and stored at the Central Bank of Nigeria until after the election,” he stated.
