•Nigerian soldiers
The International Society for Civil Liberties and Rule of Law (Intersociety) has cautioned the police and the Army against militarising the Anambra governorship election or issuing threats capable of scaring voters ahead of Saturday’s poll.
Intersociety warned the Nigerian Armed Forces — including the Anambra State Police Command, Zone 13 Police Headquarters (Ukpo), the Nigerian Naval Base (Ogbaru), the Nigerian Army’s 302 Artillery Regiment (Onitsha), and the 82 Division (Enugu) — to desist from actions or rhetoric that could intimidate the state’s 2.82 million registered voters, including the over 2.5 million Permanent Voter Card holders.
In a statement, the group’s chairman, Mr. Emeka Umeagbalasi, said frequent threats by security agencies risk depressing voter turnout and undermining democratic participation.
He noted that “fire and brimstone” rhetoric, if sustained, could discourage voters from exercising their rights on Election Day, warning that Anambra could again record one of the lowest voter turnouts in the country.
“As a leading rights and democracy advocacy voice and stakeholder in Anambra’s democratic process since 1999, we observe that such gun-culture threats have become a recurring decimal in the state’s governorship polls since the 2000s,” the statement said.
Umeagbalasi stated that security agencies have repeatedly created fear through militarisation of the voting environment, including armoured patrols, aggressive displays of force, and inflammatory public statements such as threats to “crush troublemakers” and “neutralise hoodlums.”
He also condemned the public parade of suspects, often stripped half-naked and bruised, only for many of them to later be found innocent and released — an action he said discourages citizens from participating in elections.
He added that non-state actors, including separatist groups and political thugs, have also contributed to unsafe voting environments in previous polls, particularly in 2013, 2017 and 2021.
Intersociety urged the police and military to adopt more coordinated, intelligence-driven, and non-hostile security strategies to ensure voters can safely participate in the Nov. 8, 2025 governorship election.
The group cited consistently low voter turnout in past elections despite Anambra having the largest number of registered voters in the South-East.
For example:
2013: Only 465,891 (25%) of 1.77 million registered voters cast valid votes.
2017: 448,711 (21%) of 2.064 million registered voters participated.
2021: Only 253,388 (10.5%) of 2.466 million registered voters voted.
Umeagbalasi warned that any further militarisation could worsen the trend in the upcoming poll, despite the state having 2.82 million registered voters and over 2.5 million PVC holders.
He called on voters to come out en masse and choose their preferred candidates without fear, urging security agencies to prioritise professionalism, calmness, and respect for citizens’ rights.
