Victor EzejaRecords of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), show that a total of 5,169,692, registered voters are expected to turn out to vote in the governorship elections held in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States.
Prime Busine Africa reports that this is the first time that the INEC will be conducting three off-cycle governorship elections simultaneously across different regions of the country with Bayelsa being in South-South, Imo in South-East and Kogi in North Central.
According to data published on INEC’s website, 5,409,438 are registered voters but 5,169,692 of them collected their Permanent Voter Cards in the three states.
With eight local government areas, Bayelsa has a total of 1,056,862 registered voters, 1,009,895 collected PVCs and 46,967 uncollected PVCs, thereby recording 95.6 per cent collection.
Imo State with 27 LGAs, has 2,419,922 registered voters, 2,280,339 PVCs collected, and 139,583 PVCs were not collected. This represents 94.2 per cent collection rate.
On its part, Kogi which has 21 LGAs has 1,932,654 registered voters, 1,833,160 PVCs collected (93.8 per cent collection rate) and 118,945 uncollected PVCs.
There are 40 polling units (38 in Imo and two in Bayelsa) where elections will not be held today because there are no registered voters found there and none of the 18 registered political parties is expecting any election results from those areas.
Elections will be held in Bayelsa, in the following local government areas which are Brass with 94,040 voters, Ekeremor, 137,225, Nembe 99,035, Kolokuma/Opokuma, 65,364, Ogbia 119,571, Sagbama 138,832, Southern Ijaw, 184,401, and Yenagoa, 218,394 voters.
For the gubernatorial elections in the three states, there are a total of 649 registration areas and 10,510 polling units for voters to cast their ballots.
In terms of participation of political parties, in the 2023 governorship election in the three states, there are 16 political parties, and 16 governorship candidates – 14 men and two women in Bayelsa. For the Imo elections, 18 political parties and 18 gubernatorial candidates made up of 18 men and one person with a disability will contest against one another. In Kogi, on the other hand, 18 political parties and 18 governorship candidates —17 men and one woman will run for office.
Worries Over Insecure Polls
Based on previous incidents of violence, there are fears of voter apathy, but security agencies have in recent days given assurances of providing adequate security in the three states.
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP) Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, on Monday 6th November, 2023, visited Bayelsa State to engage stakeholders, Police Officers and other security bodies, in preparation for the election and promised that they would work to ensure that the polls are conducted under a secured atmosphere. In a meeting with the state governor, Sen Douye Diri, the IGP urged him to charge his supporters to embrace peace in the state as a candidate in the election.
The IGP has deployed three deputy inspectors-general of police (DIGs) to supervise elections in the three affected states. According to a statement by the Force PRO, ACP Olumuyiwa Adejobi the three DIGs deployed to supervise the elections include DIG Daniel Sokari-Pedro, in charge of the Department of Information and Communication Technology, to Bayelsa State; DIG Frank Mba in charge of the Department of Training and Development to oversee elections in Imo State; and DIG Habu Sani, in charge of the Department of Force Intelligence, to Kogi State.
According to Adejobi, the IGP stressed that only security personnel assigned specifically to election duties are allowed within designated polling centres.
The IGP also barred all security outfits/organizations, owned by states, quasi-security units, and privately-owned security outfits from participating in election security.
Additionally, the police also restricted the movement of all persons and groups who are not directly involved in the conduct of the elections from 12 midnight on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday (the election day).
According to the Force spokesperson, the IGP has issued a stern warning to all security aides not to escort their principals to polling units and collation centres, adding that anyone found to be in violation of the order would face harsh consequences.
On their part, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ), during a biweekly report on military operations said it has discovered plans by criminal elements to impersonate military personnel during the elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States to cause chaos.
The director of Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward, who revealed this information, stated that anyone with such notions should abandon them as the military high command had deployed its personnel to ensure a safe environment for voters to cast their ballots.
The three states having elections today, have in the past recorded pockets of violence during elections.
In Bayelsa, the incumbent governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will slug it out with a former governor of the state and candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timipre Sylva and that of the Labour Party, Engr. Udengs Eradiri.
Sylva earlier suffered a setback following a High Court judgment which disqualified him from contesting, but the Appeal Court sitting in Abuja set aside the ruling making INEC re-enlist him.
Analysts believe that Diri is facing stiff opposition as the APC being the party at the centre, would give him a good fight to take over the seat.
In Imo, Governor Hope Uzodinma of the APC has major challengers coming from PDP, Sen. Samuel Anyanwu, and the Labour Party, Athan Achonu. The governor in recent times has been in a battle with organised labour over the welfare of workers in the state. Labour unions in reaction to the attack on the Nigeria Labour Congress President, Joe Ajero, who is also from the state, declared a shutdown of activities pending when the state government resolves outstanding issues with them.
Aside from labour issues, Imo had recorded cases of insecurity with some parts of the state reportedly controlled by non-state actors and unknown armed groups which resulted in killings and the destruction of properties. APC is making every effort to retain the state.
In Kogi, it is also a keen contest between the ruling APC and other opposition parties. The state since 1999 had been ruled by two senatorial districts- Kogi East (16 years), and Kogi Central (8 years). Kogi West has not had an opportunity to govern the state.
Governor Yahaya Bello’s anointed candidate for APC, Ahmed Usman Ododo comes from Kogi Central. Senator Dino Melaye of the PDP and the ADC’s candidate, Hon. Leke Abejide come from Kogi West, and the Social Democratic Paty (SDP) has Alhaji Murtala Agaka from Kogi East as its governorship flagbearer.
Given the heterogeneous nature of the state, analysts believe that the composition of the candidate across the zones and tribes could influence the pattern of voting.
Given the current challenges, the result of this election, in which millions of people cast ballots, would surely have a significant impact on the government and leadership of Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with six years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Masters degree in Mass Communication.
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