A claim submitted by our Soldiers of Mouth (SoM) suggests that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) intends to store sensitive electoral materials in Delta State ahead of the upcoming Anambra governorship election scheduled for November 8.
Claim: INEC proposed to keep sensitive materials for the Anambra November 8 governorship election in Delta state?
Verification:
The CDD War Room investigated the claim and found no evidence to support the assertion that INEC plans to store sensitive election materials for the forthcoming Anambra election in Delta State.
Our review traced the origins of the rumor to an earlier controversy in 2021, when there were widespread reports that INEC had proposed storing non-sensitive materials for that year’s Anambra governorship election in Owerri, Imo State. The move, according to INEC at the time, was due to the vandalization of its Anambra State headquarters.
The decision drew strong criticism from then-Governor Willie Obiano (APGA), who argued that storing materials outside Anambra could create suspicion and raise concerns of possible electoral malpractice. Obiano suggested alternative locations, including the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Awka or closer neighboring states such as Enugu or Delta, instead of Imo.
INEC later clarified that all sensitive election materials for the 2021 governorship election were safely kept in the CBN office in Awka, not in Imo State or any other neighboring state.
A review of INEC’s official website and recent media briefings for the upcoming 2025 election found no indication or statement suggesting that the Commission intends to store either sensitive or non-sensitive materials outside Anambra. Current preparations are being handled within the state as part of INEC’s standard election logistics process.
Verdict: False
The claim that INEC proposed to keep sensitive materials for the Anambra November 8 governorship election in Delta State is false.
No credible evidence or official communication supports this claim. It appears to have stemmed from a misinterpretation of the 2021 controversy, which involved non-sensitive materials being temporarily stored in another state.
Leave a Reply