AS the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Police and other stakeholders prepare for the Kogi off-cycle governorship election tomorrow, Saturday, November 11, residents in the state have expressed mixed feelings towards the poll.
Many residents interviewed on the streets of Lokoja, the state capital, reacted differently to the election.
A resident, Sulaiman Ibrahim, said he was unconcerned about the election and would not vote.
He said nothing had changed since he had been voting in the state.
“Things are the same; you vote every time, but nothing changes. The state is still in comatose,” he said.
Another resident, Kayode Eshinloye, described the upcoming election as “very crucial” to the state’s survival.
“Anyone who refuses to vote now should not complain of bad leadership in the future,” he stated.
He advised all well-meaning residents in the state to go out en masse to vote.
Idiyatu Kamoru, a shop owner, raised concerns over security in the state. According to her, her safety comes first before any election.
” Safety first, there will still be many elections in the future. If I notice my security is not certain, I will not step out of my house,” she said.
We have no candidate in the election – INEC
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said it has no candidate in the election.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the state, Hale Longpet, said this during a press briefing in Lokoja on Friday, November 10.
Longpet, while delivering a speech on behalf of the INEC chairman Mahmood Yakubu, vowed to provide a level playing field for all political parties and candidates in the elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner for the state, Hale Longpet, flanked by other officers during the press briefing. Picture by The ICIR 10/11/2023
“We are determined to ensure that our officials are there waiting for voters rather than the voters waiting for our arrival,” he said, assuring the commission’s workers that they would be prepared.
According to the REC, the commission must protect the procedure and guarantee that all political parties and candidates have an equal opportunity to compete.
The commission further stated that it had made provisions for land and sea transportation to guarantee that voting materials are available and that voting starts on time.
The election will be held in 3,508 polling units spread across the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
There was a heavy Police presence at the INEC headquarters in Lokoja on Friday.
Armoured personnel carriers, sniffer dogs, and members of the Police’s Counter-Terrorism Unit were seen at the entrance.
Kogi Police ban movement on election day, assures residents of safety
Kogi State Police Command has banned movement from midnight on Friday, November 10, to 6 p.m. on Saturday, November 11.
The Police spokesperson in the state, William Aya, in a statement on Friday in Lokoja, said the ban on movement in the state was due to the election.
Kogi state police command spokesperson William Ovye Aya
Speaking on security for the election, the Deputy Inspector General (DIG)of Police Ahmed Habu Sani, who is in charge of security for the Kogi governorship election, said the Police would not spare anyone who wants to test the force’s capacity.
According to Sani, the Police have deployed enough security men to handle each of the 3,508 polling units and 239 wards in the 21 Local Government Areas of the state.
He stated that to guarantee a peaceful and successful off-circle election in Kogi state, the Police and other security agencies were adequately staffed and organised to tackle any threat to the peaceful conduct of the poll.
The DIG also urged the state’s residents to contribute their share to the peaceful conduct of the election by requesting that they provide helpful information to help security services carry out their responsibilities with integrity.
Scarcity of hotel accommodation hits Lokoja
The ICIR in this report observed that a few hours before the governorship election in the state, most hotels in the state’s capital, Lokoja, have been fully booked.
A visit to some of the hotels in the city on Thursday, November 9, showed that there were no vacant rooms to give out.
Facilities visited include Idrianana Hotel on Idrinana Close, Lokongoma Phase II, Lokoja, Suitoria Hotel, Zone 8 Road, beside New Stadium, Twins Palace Hotel, Hon. Yusus Avenue and Lily Grand Hotel, Lokogoma Phase 2.
Kogi election
The election in Kogi state is part of off-cycle polls to be conducted in three states on Saturday, November 11. Other states where the election will take place are Imo and Bayelsa.
The tenure of the current governor of Imo state expires on January 14, 2024, while the governors of Kogi and Bayelsa states expire on January 26, 2024, and February 13 of the same year.
The ICIRreported the top candidates competing for the governorship seats in the three states.
The ICIR, using data in this report, highlighted parties’ chances in the states.
SUPER Eagles head coach Jose Peseiro, has invited a 23-man squad as the team is set to begin the race for the 2026 World Cup against Lesotho next Thursday, November 16.
A new twist in the squad saw Bayer Leverkusen forward Nathan Tella, who hopes to make his first international cap for Nigeria, and two long-laid-off players, Jamilu Collins and Sadiq Umar, making their return to the squad.
Both Collins and Umar have not played for the Super Eagles for some months due to injuries.
They will join other called-up players, which include goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, Francis Uzoho and Olorunleke Ojo, defenders Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, Bright Osayi-Samuel, midfielder Raphael Onyedika and forwards Ademola Lookman, Victor Boniface and Terem Moffi.
The full list
Goalkeepers: Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus); Olorunleke Ojo (Enyimba FC); Maduka Okoye (Udinese Calcio, Italy)
Midfielders: Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Joe Ayodele-Aribo (Southampton FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Brentford FC, England); Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England)
Forwards: Kelechi Iheanacho (Leicester City, England); Sadiq Umar (Real Sociedad, Spain); Moses Simon (FC Nantes, France); Ademola Lookman (Atalanta FC, Italy); Nathan Tella (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany); Taiwo Awoniyi (Nottingham Forest, England); Terem Moffi (OGC Nice, France); Victor Boniface (Bayer Leverkusen, Germany)
After the match against Lesotho, the Super Eagles will fly to Rwanda for a clash with the Warriors of Zimbabwe at the Huye Stadium in Butare on Sunday, 19th November.
The 20,000-capacity Huye Stadium, located in Butare and 135 kilometres south of the Rwandan capital, Kigali, has an artificial turf.
BAYELSA State Police Command has warned top politicians in the state against coming to polling units with aides for the governorship election scheduled for Saturday, November 11.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Daniel Sokari-Pedro, issued the warning at a press briefing on Friday, November 10.
“No principal should come to any voting centre with aides. Otherwise, the aides will be arrested, and the principal, if he has no immunity, he will be arrested and treated according to the law,” Sokari-Pedro said.
He also noted that pre-election complaints should not be used as a yardstick in determining the preparedness of the Police ahead of the polls.
“These pre-election complaints should not be used as a gauge to judge Police preparedness, and that should not in any way vitiate the election that has not yet taken place. Whenever such complaints come, we will surely investigate them. But I want to appeal to politicians on all divides that they should stop condemning the Police when the election has not even taken place,” he stated.
The Police chief also warned politicians against making inflammatory statements that could stir up tension in an already tense atmosphere.
“These are statements that are likely to inflame the already tense situation. Even though Bayelsa is a peaceful state, politically, it is a very volatile state. Therefore, these inflammatory statements will just worsen the already tense atmosphere, and at the end of the day, you come and blame the Police,” he added.
The DIG further warned politicians to desist from using fake law enforcement agents, warning that those found culpable would be arrested immediately.
He also urged residents to lodge complaints through the following control room numbers: 07034578208, and 09167322691, while giving assurance of a peaceful election process.
“We are assuring Bayelsans, residents and strangers that the election will be devoid of violence. Anybody threatening peace will be arrested and dealt with. We are not sparing even their principals. If we arrest the aides and the principal is let loose, then what precedents are we setting? Therefore, any unfortunate principal who finds himself in cross line, my advice to you is that you will be arrested,” he said.
Major contenders
There are three major contenders in the poll, including the incumbent governor, Duoye Diri, vying for re-election under the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).
Diri had served as commissioner and legislator under both chambers of the national assembly before becoming governor in 2019.
His emergence as governor followed the Supreme Court’s disqualification of the initial winner of the 2019 elections in Bayelsa, David Lyon, hours before his swearing-in ceremony.
The court ruled that Lyon’s running mate, Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, forged certificates submitted to INEC, which nullified the joint ticket with which both candidates contested.
Following the ruling, Diri was sworn in as governor instead of Lyon.
Diri’s candidacy has been challenged in court following a suit stating that his running mate, Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, had multiple names without any evidence the said names were all his.
Another major contender in the election is Timipre Silva, former governor and Nigeria’s immediate past Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, contesting under the All Progressives Congress (APC).
In October 2023, Sylva was disqualified from participating in the 2023 governorship elections by the Federal High Court in Abuja on the grounds that he had been sworn in as governor twice.
Sylva was governor of Bayelsa state from May 29, 2007, to April 15, 2008, and from May 27, 2008, to January 27, 2012, when a court sacked him.
At the time of his removal, he was being prosecuted for corruption by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), who seized 48 houses from him.
Sylva recovered the 48 houses in what was described as a controversial ruling a few days before the APC 2015 governorship primaries.
Sylva’s candidacy has also faced other threats, as his running mate Joshua MacIver has been involved in court cases based on allegations of his previous conviction for murder and terrorism in 2006.
He has recently come under fire for making inciting statements during campaigns in the Twon Brass area of the state, urging his supporters to attack opposition supporters.
“On the 11th, don’t joke with anybody; if anybody misbehaves in Twon Brass, chase away, enter the sea, make him die. Una dey hear? Chase am make him die. After all, he won’t be the first person to die.
“This time around, when we take it (governorship), we are taking it for final,” he said in English and Pidgin.
A third force in the Bayelsa governorship election is the Labour Party candidate Udengs Eradiri. He has served as a commissioner in the state and was the president of the Ijaw Youth Council (IYC) worldwide.
LESS than 24 hours to the governorship poll in Imo State, there is a heavy security patrol in Owerri, the state capital, The ICIR reports.
The armed officers are largely made up of combined forces of the military, para-military, and the Police.
Our correspondent sighted their patrol vehicles within Owerri municipality and around major hotels within the popular World Bank road, the Concord Hotel, and the All Season Hotel avenue.
Informed sources told our reporter that some of the security officers were co-opted from neighbouring Anambra and Enugu states to ensure a peaceful election which will be held on Saturday, November 11.
Power outage hits state
For almost a week, Owerri and its neighbouring communities have been hit by a power outage.
Checks by our reporter Thursday night -around the capital city showed a city in darkness, with residents and businesses exploring alternative power sources, including generator sets.
One of the residents, Nonye Okoloma, who spoke with The ICIR, said the development was not unconnected with the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) threat to the Imo State government following the attack on its president, Joe Ajaero.
The popular World Bank avenue, which houses several hotels in the capital city and the state-owned Concord Hotel, is without national grid power and has resorted to alternative power supply sources.
The street lights at Owerri were mainly powered by solar.
Residents express willingness to vote
Many residents in Owerri and its environs have expressed their willingness to exercise their franchise by voting for a candidate of their choice tomorrow, Saturday, November 11.
“I’m prepared to cast my vote. The candidates have campaigned, and God’s willing, by Saturday, we shall all go out to cast their votes,” said Ebuka’s Uzodie, who resides at the World Bank road in Owerri.
Another resident, a Point of Sales (PoS) operator, Oluchukeu Uzoka, told our correspondent that she was prepared to vote for the candidate of her choice.
” Yes, I’m prepared to cast my vote tomorrow, after which I will re-open my business, she said.
When asked about her general reactions to the security build-up before the election, she said the presence of security officers on patrol provided some assurances that the exercise could be peaceful.
The ICIRreports that Imo State is one of the South-East states that have faced insecurity in recent years. It is also one of the three states participating in the off-cycle election on Saturday. Others are Bayelsa and Kogi.
What survey says of poll
A recent pre-election environment risk assessment by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI), an independent non-governmental organisation advancing good governance, democratic rights, public policy, and public engagement, showed that violence could mar the pollin Imo.
The activities of secessionists – TheIndigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), the Eastern Security Network – and other armed non-state actors are a threat to the poll, KDI stated.
It suggested that if all stakeholders carried out strategic violence prevention interventions, there was a high chance that the election would be peaceful.
“Recognising the wide-ranging implications of election security in Nigeria, this study explores the impact of the actions and activities of various state and non-state political actors on the electoral landscape in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States,” the report summary stated.
It explained that while Imo State had not experienced much electoral and non-electoral violence for most of 2023, Kogi and Bayelsa had seen a surge in electoral violence in the last two months preceding the election.
KDI also predicted a keenly-contested poll because of the many political parties fielding candidates.
Local government areas that are likely hot spots for a crisis during this election, according to KDI, are Oru West, Oru East, Orlu, Okigwe, Nwangele, Isiala Mbano, Ikeduru, Ngor Okpala, Ahiazu Mbaise, Obowo and Orsu.
Major contenders for the election in the state are the incumbent Governor, Hope Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sam Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Anthony Nnaji of the labour Party (LP).
This report published by The ICIR earlier today highlights the party’s chances in the election.
This organisation further reports that Imo state has 2.3 million eligible voters with PVCs out of 2.4 million registered voters.
The election winner will take an oath of office on January 14, 2024 when the current administration’s tenure ends.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) holds off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo state tomorrow, November 11.
While approximately five million registered voters in the three states are expected to vote, 18 political parties are jostling for each state’s governorship seat.
A FEW hours before the governorship election in Kogi state, most hotels in the state’s capital, Lokoja, have been fully booked.
A visit to some of the hotels in the city on Thursday, November 9, showed that there were no vacant rooms to give out.
Facilities visited include Idrianana Hotel on Idrinana Close, Lokongoma Phase II, Lokoja, Suitoria Hotel, Zone 8 Road, beside New Stadium, Twins Palace Hotel, Hon. Yusus Avenue and Lily Grand Hotel, Lokogoma Phase 2.
The ICIR reporter saw officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) discussing the challenges of getting hotel rooms at the INEC office
Apart from INEC staff who might have been deployed to conduct and monitor the election in the state capital, other major stakeholders for the election that need lodging are journalists and election observers.
Some hotel workers interviewed blamed politicians for the challenge. They claimed that politicians paid for many of the hotels’ rooms.
Also, at the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) secretariat in the state capital, much of the discussion was on the difficulty of security rooms to lodge in hotels.
A commercial motorcyclist, Monday Ubah, who took the reporter around the town, said getting hotel rooms in Lokoja and other major towns in the state had been difficult since Monday, November 6.
He claimed that politicians had paid for the rooms.
Other issues
Apart from the difficulty in getting a hotel room in Lokoja, security concerns are another major issue in the state.
Some commercial motorcycle operators interviewed raised concerns over their safety. As of 9 p.m. on Thursday, some of the motorcyclists whom people approached for a ride declined outrightly or refused specific locations due to security issues.
The election in Kogi state is part of off-cycle polls to be conducted in three states on Saturday, November 11. Other states where the election will take place are Imo and Bayelsa.
The tenure of the current governor of Imo state expires on January 14, 2024, while the governors of Kogi and Bayelsa states expire on January 26, 2024, and February 13 of the same year.
The ICIRreported the top candidates competing for the governorship seats in the three states.
The ICIR, using data in this report, highlighted parties’ chances in the three states.
THE 2023 governorship election took place in 28 states nationwide. The election was postponed from March 11 to March 18,2023, after the presidential poll held on February 25.
Nigeria’s election umpire, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced winners in different states.
Soon after the results were announced, the battle shifted to the Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal across the country as parties dissatisfied with the results headed for the courts.
The governorship election petition tribunal has given judgments in several cases brought before them by the parties.
In this report, Bankole Abe looks at the tribunals’ rulings across the states.
Abia
The Abia State Petition Election Tribunal sitting in Umuahia, the state capital, affirmed the election of Alex Otti of the Labour Party (LP) as the winner of the March 18, 2023 governorship election.
The governorship candidate of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Ikechi Emenike, and his counterpart from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Okey Ahiwe, challenged Otti’s victory and sought his sack over allegations of non-resignation of his membership from the APC before joining the LP.
However, the petition was dismissed by the tribunal chaired by JTD Gwadah for lack of merit in a unanimous decision.
Adamawa
Adamawa State Governorship Electoral Petitions Tribunal on Saturday, October 28, dismissed the petition filed by Aishatu Dahiru Binani of APC against Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
Binani went to the court, seeking to nullify the declaration of Fintiri by INEC as elected governor.
Binani, in her petition, which had INEC, Fintiri and PDP as the first, second, and third respondents, respectively, asked the Adamawa governorship election petition tribunal to annul the governorship election over non-compliance with the Electoral Act.
Adamawa State Governor, Ahmadu Fintiri
In her judgement, the Chairman of the Tribunal, T. O. Uloho, dismissed the petition brought by Binani and affirmed Fintiri’s victory.
Akwa Ibom
In Uyo, Akwa Ibom, the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the APC candidate, Akanimo Udofia, challenging the election of Umo Eno of the PDP as the election winner.
Udofia petitioned the tribunal to disqualify Eno because he had allegedly submitted falsified papers to INEC and had not received the most significant number of legitimate votes in the governorship race.
However, the Adekunle Adeleye-led tribunal gave its verdict on Thursday, September 28, and found that the petitioner had not provided enough evidence to support its claims of serious electoral law violations throughout the polling process.
Bauchi
INEC’s declaration of Bala Mohammed as the state’s legitimately elected governor was upheld by the Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Bauchi State.
The three-member panel, led by P.T. Kwahar, dismissed the petition by the APC and its candidate, Sadique Abubakar, a former Chief of Air Staff, contesting Mohammed’s re-election to a second term.
Benue
The Benue State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal declared Hyacinth Alia of the APC the winner of the state gubernatorial election.
Benue State Governor, Hyacinth Alia
The Tribunal, which sat in Makurdi, dismissed the PDP and its governorship candidate, Titus Uba’s petition on Saturday, September 23.
Speaking on Uba’s case, the tribunal said the PDP candidate ought to have pursued his case of non-qualification, the nomination of Alia by the APC, and the allegation of a forged certificate and false information on Form EC9 against his deputy, Sam Ode, before INEC.
Cross River
The governorship election petition tribunal in Cross River State, on Tuesday, September 26, upheld the election of Bassey Otu as duly elected governor of the state.
The tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the governorship candidate of the PDP, Sandy Onor.
After deliberating for three hours without dissent, the three-member panel headed by Oken Inneh accepted the arguments put forth by the respondents.
They argued that Otu was duly elected because he was qualified to run for office.
Delta
In Delta State, the tribunal struck out the petition of the APC candidate, Ovie Omo-Agege, challenging the election of Sheriff Oborevwori.
The tribunal struck the petition out for lacking in merit.
Ebonyi
The Election Petition Tribunal affirmed Nwifuru of the APC as the governor of Ebonyi State.
The tribunal struck out all the petitions against Nwifuru’s victory in the poll.
The tribunal dismissed the petition of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), its candidate, Odoh, and the PDP’s and its candidate, Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii.
Enugu
Peter Mbah of the PDP was declared the duly elected governor of Enugu State by the state Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.
The LP and its candidate, Chijioke Edeoga, filed petitions against Mbah’s victory.
However, the three-member tribunal chaired by Kudirat Murayo rejected the petition, stating that the parties lacked evidence to support their claims.
In rejecting the petitioners’ application, the panel decided that the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) discharge certificate was not required to run for governor.
Gombe
The Gombe State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the PDP and its candidate, Mohammed Barde, against the victory of Governor Inuwa Yahaya’s victory. Yahaya belongs to the APC.
The tribunal, presided over by S.B. Belgore, struck out the case for lack of merit.
Kaduna
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal upheld APC’s Uba Sani’s victory as governor.
The PDP and its candidate, Isah Ashiru, petition failed to scale through at the tribunal, which delivered its judgment via Zoom.
Kano
The Kano State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal sacked the incumbent Abba Kabir Yusuf as governor.
The tribunal consequently declared the APC’s Nasir Gawuna the governor.
In its judgement on Wednesday, September 20, the three-person panel presided over by Oluyemi Akintan-Osadebay deducted 165,663 votes from Yusuf’s total votes and ordered INEC to withdraw the certificate of return issued to Yusuf of the New Nigeria People Party (NNPP) and give it to Gawuna.
Kebbi
The Election Petitions Tribunal, which sat in Birnin Kebbi on Thursday, October 5, upheld the election of Nasiru Idris as the duly elected governor of Kebbi State.
In its ruling, the tribunal dismissed the petition filed by the PDP challenging the victory of Idris of the APC and his deputy, Abubakar Umar.
The tribunal described the petitioner’s application as lacking in merit.
Lagos
The Lagos Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal dismissed the petitions filed by Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour and the LP challenging the victory of Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the March 18 governorship election.
In the judgement delivered on Monday, September 25, the tribunal dismissed Rhodes-Vivour and LP’s petitions, describing them as lacking merit.
The Tribunal also dismissed the petition of Olajide Adeniran (Jandor) of the PDP.
Nasarawa
The governorship election petition tribunal in Lafia, Nasarawa State, sacked Abdullahi Sule of the APC as governor and declared David Ombugadu of the PDP as the election winner.
Two justices out of three ruled on Monday, October 2, that Ombugadu won the election, while one dissented.
Nasarawa State Governor Abdullahi Sule
In the judgement delivered virtually, the panel chairman, Ezekiel Ajayi, argued that there was no room for reasonable doubt, and the petitioner’s evidence was convincingly made.
Ogun
The Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal upheld the election of Dapo Abiodun of the APC.
On Saturday, September 30, the three-member tribunal dismissed the petition filed by Ladi Adebutu of the PDP.
The panel described the petition as “incompetent, defective, disjunctive and lack merits.”
Oyo
The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal in Ibadan, Oyo, upheld the reelection of Seyi Makinde.
Babatunde Ajala of the Action Alliance (AA) had challenged Makinde’s victory at the tribunal.
A three-member panel chaired by Ejiron Emudainohwo delivered the judgement that dismissed Ajala’s petition.
Plateau
The Election Petition Tribunal in Plateau affirmed the election of Caleb Mutfwang of the PDP as the state governor.
In its judgement, the court struck out the petition filed by Nentawe Goshwe Yiltwada of the APC.
Yiltwada has filed a complaint with the tribunal contesting Mutfwang’s election. He argued that Mutfwang was ineligible to run for the election because the PDP had no structure at the time of the election and could not legally nominate and sponsor him.
Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang
In its judgement on Friday, September 22, the tribunal dismissed the petition as lacking merit.
Rivers
The tribunal in Abuja affirmed the election of Siminalayi Fubara as governor of River State.
The APC candidate Patrick Tonye-Cole filed a petition challenging the election of Fubara, but the tribunal dismissed it.
The national leadership of the APC withdrew from the lawsuit, making the tribunal dismiss the petition.
Additionally, the court threw out the petitions of LP candidate Beatrice Itubo and Dumo Lulu-Briggs of the Accord Party (AP).
The Alliance Peoples Movement (APM) candidate Innocent Ekwu’s petition challenging Fubara’s election was also dismissed due to its lack of merit.
Justice Cletus Emifonye led the three-member tribunal.
Sokoto
In Sokoto State, the tribunal affirmed the election of Ahmed Aliyu of the APC as the governor.
The election petition tribunal, led by Haruna Mshelia, dismissed the petition filed by Sa’idu Umar of the PDP challenging Aliyu’s victory.
Taraba
The election of Agbu Kefas as the governor of Taraba State was upheld by the tribunal.
The three-man panel of justices led by G. A. Sunmonu dismissed the petition of the NNPP and its candidate, Sani Yahaya, for lacking merit.
The panel ruled that the petitioners claimed their candidate received the majority of legitimate votes but were inconsistent in their requests.
Zamfara
The Zamfara State Election Petition Tribunal sitting in Sokoto affirmed the election of Dauda Lawal as the state’s duly elected governor.
The tribunal dismissed a petition filed by the former governor, Bello Matawalle, challenging Lawal’s victory.
In a judgement on Monday, September 18, the tribunal said the petition lacked merit.
As of the time of filing this report, tribunals have delivered judgment in 22 states. Court decisions from six states are still expected.
These comprise the states of Borno, Jigawa, Katsina, Kwara, Niger, and Yobe.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) holds off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa, and Imo state tomorrow, November 11.
While approximately five million registered voters in the three states are expected to vote, 18 political parties are jostling for each state’s governorship seat.
The elections are part of off-cycle polls in eight states organised by INEC. In February and March, Nigeria held its general elections that brought in a new President and 28 governors, of which 17 were newly elected while nine were re-elected for a second and final term.
Despite not fully participating in the general elections, the states with off-cycle elections still elected lawmakers to represent them at the National Assembly, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives. They also voted for their House of Assembly members.
However, the tenure of the current governor of Imo state expires on January 14, 2024, while the governors of Kogi and Bayelsa states expire on January 26, 2024, and February 13 of the same year.
The ICIRreported the top candidates in the three states competing for the state governorship seat.
In this report, The ICIR examines the chances of political parties to win the governorship seat. This assessment is based on the parties’ performance in the National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections held in the three states in February and March.
Results of lawmakers’ elections
Kogi state…
According to INEC data, despite having 1.9 million registered voters, only 1.8 million people collected their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) to elect 25 members into the state’s House of Assembly members and nine National Assembly members in Kogi state in the last general elections.
The result of the state House of Assembly poll shows 22 candidates from the All Progressive Congress (APC), two candidates from the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), and one candidate from the African Democratic Congress (ADC) won.
Similarly, six candidates of the APC were elected into the House of Representatives, while ADC had two seats and PDP picked one. The APC won two seats in the Senate, and PDP secured one.
Bayelsa state…
In Bayelsa state, 1.1 million people registered for the election, but only one million collected their PVCs.
Of the 24 seats in the state’s House of Assembly, PDP won 17, APC got five, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) grabbed two. However, PDP occupies all five seats in the House of Representatives and three in the Senate.
Imo state…
Imo state has 2.3 million eligible voters with PVCs out of 2.4 million registered voters. The APC claimed 25 seats in the state House of Assembly, while the PDP and Accord Party (AP) shared the remaining two seats.
The PDP and APC won four seats apiece in the House of Representatives, while the LP secured two. At the Senate, APC has two seats while LP has one.
The projections
All elected lawmakers are expected to canvass for votes for their respective parties from their local government or senatorial district. By this, political parties with the highest number of lawmakers stand a better chance of winning the governorship seat if voting follows the same pattern as the last general elections.
Using this as a benchmark, the addition of all lawmakers in each state would mean that Kogi state has 37 lawmakers, Bayelsa state has 32, and Imo state has 40. The ICIR divided the total number of lawmakers by each political party.
State
APC
PDP
LP
ADC
APGA
AP
Kogi state
31
3
–
3
–
–
Bayelsa state
5
25
–
–
2
–
Imo state
31
5
3
–
–
1
The result showed that APC has 83.8 per cent chance of winning the election in Kogi state, more than 17 other political parties contesting for the seat. Also, in Imo state, the APC has a 77.5 per cent chance of winning the governorship seat, more than 16 other candidates contesting for the office.
Meanwhile, in Bayelsa, the PDP has a 78.1 per cent chance of winning the election more than 15 other candidates contesting for the seat.
‘Public engagement, still a concern’
The Head of Election Programme, YIAGA Africa, Paul James, said that based on the experiences and outcome of the general elections, residents of the three states and INEC were approaching the elections with caution.
James added that his team was briefed from the states that INEC staff were being attacked at public events. This practice, he said, was capable of jeopardising the elections if not curbed.
He said, “We are beginning to see, in the states with off-cycle elections, different levels of engagement and approaches as to how people see INEC. In Imo state, for instance, there was this public perception that their votes were stolen,” in the last elections and results released by INEC did not reflect their votes.
However, James noted that the commission was more engaging with the voters in Bayelsa and Kogi. The ICIR reported the ordeal of voters in the last elections and the violent attack on voters, claiming 28 lives.
THE Anambra State Truth, Justice and Peace Commission said it had discovered a mass grave believed to hold the remains of 322 individuals.
The Commission’s secretary, Bianca Ojukwu, disclosed this in a Facebook post titled, ‘A mass grave site discovered in Anambra sealed off for forensic investigation,’ on Tuesday, November 7.
Governor Chukwuma Soludo constituted the commission in June 2022 to inquire into the violent agitations and restiveness in the state and the South East.
The 15-member committee is headed by the former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Chidi Odinkalu, a professor.
Bianca said the mass grave site came to the attention of the Commission through testimonies provided during the marathon sittings of the second phase of the investigation, which lasted from October 26 to November 3.
She also stated that the commission’s chairman had recommended that the site be sealed for forensic investigation by pathologists. This, she added, would aid in uncovering the identities of the victims and the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
According to her, 39 witnesses testified on oath, while 243 exhibits were collected during the proceedings.
“Our commission, headed by Prof Chidi Odinkalu interrogated a total of 39 witnesses who testified on oath while 243 exhibits were collected during the course of the proceedings.
“The commission also met with 31 petitioners, including 11 organisations, 19 communities, and one individual during the marathon sittings which lasted from Oct. 26 to Nov. 3.”
She added that some persons were still unaccounted for, with their fate yet to be confirmed.
According to her, only 18 persons have been identified as missing or disappeared.
Over the years, Anambra and some other southeastern states have suffered insecurity, particularly attacks by the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), posing a significant threat to the safety and well-being of the residents.
On September 7, The ICIRreported how two people die daily from insecurity in the South-East.
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