In a significant development for Nigeria's democratic process, the civic organization Yiaga Africa has confirmed that the official results of the recently concluded Anambra State governorship election match findings from its independent verification exercise.
Independent Verification Confirms Election Integrity
The organization revealed that results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) align perfectly with data collected through its Process and Results Verification for Transparency (PRVT) methodology. This confirmation came through a statement released on Sunday, November 9, 2025, signed by Dr Asmau Maikudi, Chair of the 2025 Anambra Election Mission, and Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa.
The consistency between PRVT estimates and INEC's official figures reinforces confidence in the credibility and transparency of the electoral process, according to the organization's post-election assessment.
Comprehensive Observation Network Deployed
Yiaga Africa implemented an extensive monitoring operation across Anambra State, deploying over 700 citizen observers across all 21 local government areas. These observers tracked election processes and results from a statistically representative sample of 250 polling units, providing comprehensive coverage of the electoral exercise.
The PRVT approach enabled an independent, data-driven verification of official results to determine whether they accurately reflected votes cast at polling units. The methodology is designed to detect any alterations that might occur at ward, LGA, or state collation centers.
Key Findings and Recommendations
Yiaga Africa's statement emphasized that because the official results fell within their estimated ranges, governorship contestants, political parties, and voters should have confidence that the announced outcomes reflect the actual ballots cast.
The organization commended Anambra residents for maintaining peace during the exercise and acknowledged improvements in poll conduct while identifying areas needing urgent attention. Security agencies received particular praise for their professional coordination, which contributed to a generally peaceful election day.
However, the group highlighted several concerns, including that less than half of polling units opened at the official start time, despite noticeable improvement compared to previous elections. Yiaga Africa urged INEC to address logistical bottlenecks that continue to hinder smooth voting commencement.
The organization expressed deep concern over incidents of vote-buying, describing the practice as a major threat to electoral credibility that promotes corruption and undermines legitimate victory.
Yiaga Africa also emphasized the need for a national conversation on low voter turnout, particularly troubling youth disengagement, warning that the persistent decline in participation raises serious questions about Nigeria's democratic health.
The group called on political parties to end election commercialization and invest in initiatives that strengthen public trust and transparency in Nigeria's democratic process.
