THE second lap of Nigeria’s general elections – governorship and state assembly election – is holding today, March 18, two weeks after the Presidential and National Assembly polls.

Eight hundred thirty-seven candidates are vying for governorship positions while 10,240 candidates are contesting state assembly seats across the 28 states where the election will hold.

In the South-South region, the process has been smooth and calm. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials dispatched election materials and began setting up polling units as early as 7: 00 am.

In the six south-south states, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Rivers, Cross Rivers, Edo and Delta, many of the INEC officials present were punctual to their respective polling units and were set to conduct election before the voters began to troop in.

Accreditation and voting commenced in many polling units between 8:00 am and 8:30 am.

However, there are still some units in the states where INEC officials arrived late.

The governorship election was scheduled for March 11 but was postponed by a week by INEC.

The commission said it needed time to reconfigure the BVAS used for the Presidential Election.

Governorship elections will not hold this time in Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun and Ondo, as polls to the offices of governors of the states are held off-cycle and not part of the general election.