🕊️ The Election That Went Too Smoothly
When ballots closed on Saturday, observers expected tension. Instead, Anambra delivered calm.
For the new INEC chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, it was supposed to be his baptism by fire. Instead, it became a mild rehearsal — a quiet test of systems, not of stamina.
The Situation Room report, signed by Yunusa Z. Ya’u and co-conveners Mimidoo Achakpa and Franklin Oloniju, described the exercise as “efficient but untested.”
“The poll didn’t stretch INEC’s capacity — it ran like clockwork because the stakes were low,” the report said.
⚙️ BVAS, IReV, and the 97% Upload Feat
INEC’s Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) performed optimally, recording 97% polling unit result uploads within five hours — a record for Nigeria’s election management history.
The INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) “came alive” by 7:30 p.m. on election day, with 97% of Form EC8A already visible to the public.
But the success, observers noted, came in an environment without pressure.
“The technology was ready, but the tension wasn’t,” one analyst told IDNN. “It was a clean test, not a stress test.”
⚠️ The Quiet Fault Lines Beneath the Calm
Despite the seamless collation, voter apathy loomed large. Turnout hovered below 25%.
The Situation Room also logged 35 incidents of violence across 1,000 polling units, including intimidation, minor clashes, and one fatality.
Vote-buying persisted in rural areas — small bills, large symbolism.
Security agents were commended for civility and visibility. “No show of force, no panic,” the report noted, a rare compliment in Nigeria’s electoral history.
Why This Election Matters
- INEC Confidence: Amupitan gets early credibility, but the real test looms in 2026 general reruns.
- Governance Signal: Soludo’s landslide underlines public trust but masks apathy.
- System Insight: BVAS proved resilience, but logistics still lagged in rural belts.
- Policy Layer: Election costs dropped by 18%, reinforcing efficiency reforms.
⚖️ Soludo’s Easy Win, Amupitan’s Quiet Watch
Governor Chukwuma Soludo swept all 21 LGAs.
AA candidate Jeff Nweke congratulated him, saying “our people have spoken.”
The real headline, however, wasn’t Soludo’s victory — it was Amupitan’s composure.
INEC’s new boss watched quietly from Abuja, his reforms untested, his strategy intact.
To many, it was proof that he could manage order. To others, it was evidence that he hadn’t yet faced chaos.
Credibility, Cost, and Confidence
The successful use of digital systems saves INEC millions in logistics while restoring market trust in Nigeria’s election data integrity.
Foreign election monitors said the result was “Nigeria’s cleanest mid-cycle vote since 2019.”
Transparency, they added, is currency — and INEC’s stock just went up.
This is IDNN. Independent. Digital. Uncompromising.
