Technical difficulties and network challenges have significantly hampered the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise across several locations in Anambra State, with Anambra West Local Government Area bearing the brunt of these disruptions.
Despite a massive turnout of eligible citizens eager to register for the November 8, 2025 gubernatorial election, many prospective voters have been left frustrated by malfunctioning registration machines and poor network connectivity that have brought the exercise to a near standstill in several centers.
At several Anambra West registration centers, monitored, hundreds of citizens who heeded Governor Charles Soludo’s and that of several stakeholders call to participate in the democratic process found themselves in long queues with little progress due to persistent technical failures.
“We came here as early as 8a.m. responding to the governor’s call, but we’ve been here for over six hours, and the machines keep malfunctioning,” said Chinedu Ifeanyi, who just turned 18 and eager to register. “This is really discouraging for people who want to exercise their civic duty.”
The situation has drawn sharp criticism from various stakeholders who fear that the technical challenges could lead to mass disenfranchisement of Anambra citizens ahead of the crucial gubernatorial election.
Chief Emeka Nwosu, a community leader and political analyst, expressed concerns about the timing of these challenges. “INEC must act urgently to address these network and machine problems. The massive response from Anambrarians shows their commitment to the democratic process, but these technical issues are threatening to undermine their constitutional right to vote.”
The challenges have been particularly pronounced in rural areas of Anambra West, where internet connectivity has historically been poor. Registration officials on the ground have confirmed that the network issues are affecting the real-time upload of voter data to INEC’s central database.
Governor Soludo had recently issued a passionate appeal to citizens, stating: “Ndi Anambra, I urge you all to take advantage of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise commenced by INEC for the 2025 Anambra State Gubernatorial election. This is your chance to shape the future of our beloved state.”
The governor’s call appears to have resonated strongly with the electorate, as evidenced by the unprecedented turnout across registration centers. However, the technical difficulties threaten to dampen this enthusiasm.
Dr. Iffy Okonkwo, a civil society advocate, warned against any attempts to use the low registration numbers as a basis for electoral manipulation. “It would be unacceptable for anyone to use the artificially low registration figures caused by INEC’s technical failures as a pretext for result manipulation on November 8,” she said.
“Anambra people know what they want, and they have demonstrated this by coming out en masse. INEC must ensure that technical challenges do not become a tool for disenfranchisement or provide cover for electoral malpractice.”
An official of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) who spoke anonymously acknowledged the challenges, but the electoral umpire is yet to provide a comprehensive timeline for resolving the issues. Local INEC officials have attributed the problems to “nationwide server maintenance” and assured that alternative measures are being put in place.
However, with the registration exercise expected to conclude soon, stakeholders are calling for immediate intervention to prevent the disenfranchisement of eligible voters who have shown unprecedented commitment to participating in the democratic process.
The November 8 gubernatorial election is expected to be keenly contested, making the voter registration exercise crucial for ensuring broad participation in the electoral process.
As the situation continues to unfold, all eyes remain on INEC to demonstrate its commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections by ensuring that technical challenges do not impede citizens’ fundamental right to participate in the democratic process.
