….. Announces commencement of Campaigns for 2025 Anambra Governorship Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially released the final list of candidates contesting in the upcoming 2025 Anambra State Governorship election. The announcement was made on Wednesday, June 4, 2025, in a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee.

According to INEC, a total of 16 out of Nigeria’s 19 registered political parties submitted nominations for the election. The final list includes the names, ages, genders, and academic qualifications of the candidates, which have been uploaded to INEC’s official website and social media platforms for public access.

INEC confirmed that two female candidates are in the race, representing the African Action Congress (AAC) and the National Rescue Movement (NRM). Additionally, six parties have fielded female running mates, including the Accord Party (A), All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Peoples Party (APP), Boot Party (BP), Labour Party (LP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP). No party has nominated a person with a disability as either a governorship or deputy candidate. The ages of the candidates range from 36 to 71 years.

In accordance with Section 33 of the Electoral Act 2022, some parties made substitutions following the voluntary withdrawal of candidates. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) conducted a fresh primary to replace its governorship candidate, while four parties—Accord, AAC, LP, and NNPP—replaced their deputy governorship nominees. The substitution window officially closed on June 2, 2025.

With the publication of the final candidate list, political campaigns are now officially permitted to begin on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, and must end at midnight on Thursday, November 6, 2025, in line with Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act.

INEC has urged all parties and candidates to conduct their campaigns peacefully and lawfully, refraining from hate speech, violence, and the destruction of opponents’ campaign materials. The commission also reminded stakeholders of the legal requirement to ensure equal access to public spaces, media, and advertising platforms for all political actors. Use of incumbency for electoral advantage is expressly prohibited under Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act.

The 2025 Anambra Governorship election is scheduled to take place on Saturday, November 8, 2025.