The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) anticipates a turnout of 5.1 million voters across Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states in the governorship elections. The number of voters who collected their permanent voter cards (PVCs) out of the registered total stands at 5,169,692, with 5,409,438 voters registered across the three states.
Bayelsa State has 1,056,862 registered voters, of which 1,017,613 have collected their PVCs, leaving 39,249 uncollected. In Imo State, out of 2,419,922 registered voters, 2,318,919 have their PVCs, with 101,003 yet to be collected. Kogi State has 1,932,654 registered voters, with 1,833,160 having collected their PVCs, leaving 99,494 uncollected.
In Bayelsa and Imo, incumbent governors Douye Diri and Hope Uzodimma, respectively, are seeking re-election. In Kogi, 18 candidates are vying to succeed the incumbent, Yahaya Bello.
In Imo, Uzodimma faces 17 contenders, including Samuel Anyanwu of the PDP and Athan Achonu of the Labour Party, considered top challengers to the governor.
In Bayelsa, Governor Diri faces 15 other candidates, with Timipre Sylva of the APC seen as the leading contender. Sylva, a former governor and former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, is a notable figure in the race.
Kogi’s race is chiefly between APC’s Usman Ododo, PDP’s Dino Melaye, SDP’s Muri Ajaka, and ADC’s Leke Abejide, among others.
Incidents of violence have marred the lead-up to the elections, causing concern and prompting assurances from security agencies to ensure safety during the process. The National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, warned against violence and assured the public of security measures, emphasizing the consequences for disrupting the election or abusing authority.
A monitoring system has been established to oversee the elections, with measures in place to address any violence or irregularities during the voting process. The NSA emphasized that security and law enforcement personnel must conduct themselves with professionalism during their election duties.