The Anambra State Police Command has announced a total restriction on human and vehicular movement across the state on Saturday, November 8, during the governorship election.
According to a statement issued by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, the restriction will be in effect from 12:00 am to 6:00 pm on Election Day and will apply to all 326 electoral wards in the state.
Ikenga said the order covers all categories of vehicles, including private cars, commercial buses, trucks, tricycles (Keke), motorcycles (Okada), and shuttle buses, and applies to all roads within and leading into Anambra, including interstate highways.
He explained that the decision was jointly agreed upon by heads of security agencies in the state during a meeting at the Police Headquarters, Awka, on Thursday.
The measure, he said, aims to curb the movement of political thugs and criminal groups that could disrupt the polls.
“The restriction is a preventive measure to ensure a peaceful and credible electoral process,” Ikenga stated.
The police spokesperson advised interstate travellers to plan alternative routes during the restriction period.
He added that only persons on essential duties would be exempted, including INEC officials, accredited journalists and election observers, medical workers, emergency responders, and essential service providers.
Such persons, he noted, must carry proper identification and clearance tags to avoid unnecessary delays or harassment.
Ikenga urged residents to comply fully with the directive, assuring them that the measure is designed to safeguard lives, property, and public order during the election.
He also appealed for cooperation with security personnel to ensure smooth and peaceful voting across the state.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that 2,769,137 of the 2,802,790 registered voters in Anambra, representing 98.8 per cent, have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this at a press briefing in Abuja on Thursday, describing the turnout as “a remarkable achievement.”
“Following voter registration and a clean-up of the database, we finalised a register of 2,802,790 voters for this election on September 4.
Initially, only 63.9 per cent had collected their PVCs,” Amupitan said.
He explained that INEC’s decision to extend the PVC collection deadline from October 29 to November 2 across all 326 registration areas made it possible for almost every eligible voter to obtain their card.
“This 98.8 per cent collection rate is unprecedented in Nigeria. All uncollected cards will be secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria until after the election,” the INEC chairman added.
