Dr. Elizabeth Agwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the Independent National Electoral Commission in Anambra State, has promised to guarantee credible elections in the state, asserting that throughout the past three years, she has prevented politicians from purchasing the electoral process.
Agwu added that throughout her time in office, she had effectively managed free, fair, and credible elections in the state.
The International Press Center in Awka hosted a two-day stakeholders’ discussion engagement on Thursday and Friday, during which she made these statements. In order to promote enlightening conversations between important election and democratic governance players, the dialogue’s focus was “Rebuilding Trust in the Electoral Process and Elections.”
The conversation took place in advance of the November 8, 2025, governorship election and the upcoming by-election in the Anambra South Senatorial District.
“Everyone who knows me in Anambra knows that I am a working REC,” Agwu stated. Here, I have overseen three elections. Every wealthy politician in Anambra attempts to buy elections, but they are unable to do so because I made it impossible to buy. I informed the politicians that they needed to give me N3 billion if they wanted to purchase the election because they felt powerful and wealthy. I will use N1 billion of it to pay my employees and N1 billion to travel to a Caribbean island for fun.
She went on, “I was permitted to conduct the elections, and these politicians failed because no one could pay me that money.” I asked the residents of Anambra to cease selling their PVCs and assured them that their votes would be counted. Given that PVCs will be used to cast ballots, selling them is a mistake.
Anambra, a project she started to help her people, was commended by the REC for having the nation’s largest PVC distribution.
