The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published the final list of candidates for the upcoming Anambra State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 9, 2025. Out of 19 registered political parties, 16 have been cleared to contest the election.
According to a statement released by the commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the list follows the conclusion of party primaries and the window for candidate substitutions, which closed on June 2, 2025.
Among the updates, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) conducted a fresh primary to replace its candidate, while four other parties—Accord (A), African Action Congress (AAC), Labour Party (LP), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP)—replaced their deputy governorship candidates within the stipulated deadline.
INEC noted that no political party nominated a person with disability as either a candidate or running mate. The age range of candidates spans from 36 to 71 years. Two parties, AAC and the National Rescue Movement (NRM), have nominated female governorship candidates, while six other parties are fielding female running mates.
With the final candidate list now published on INEC’s website and social media platforms, the commission emphasized that no further substitutions will be allowed except in the event of the death of a candidate or running mate, as outlined in Section 34(1) of the Electoral Act.
Campaigns for the election are officially set to commence on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, and will run through to midnight on Thursday, November 6, 2025. INEC has reminded political parties and their supporters to conduct their campaigns in line with Sections 92 and 93 of the Electoral Act 2022, which prohibit the use of abusive language, violence, and the destruction of opponents’ campaign materials.
Furthermore, parties are entitled to equal access to public facilities for campaign purposes, including media, outdoor advertising, rallies, and meetings. INEC also reiterated that Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act bars the use of incumbency to the unfair advantage of any party or candidate.
