Candidates jostling to occupy the three governorship slots in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi in Saturday November 11 2023 election, on Thursday, rounded off their campaigns expressing hope that they would emerge victorious.
While the 18 registered political parties fielded candidates in Imo and Kogi only 16 are contesting in Kogi.
In Bayelsa, Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, is seeking to retain his seat but Chief Timipre Sylva of the All Progressives Congress, APC; and Udengs Eradiri of the Labour Party, LP, among others are bent on stopping him.
In Imo, Governor Hope Uzodimma of the APC has to surmount the hurdles mounted by Senator Sam Anyanwu of the PDP; and Senator Athan Achonu of the LP among others, the Vanguard reports.
In Kogi, Governor Yahaya Bello of the APC is not seeking re-election but has the arduous task of getting his anointed and party’s candidates, Usman Ododo elected. To do this, he has to stop 17 other candidates led by Senator Dino Melaye of the PDP; Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress, ADC; and Muritala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party, SDP.
At various campaign functions across the states yesterday, the candidates fancied their chances even though the polls will be held amid fear of voters’ apathy and insecurity in spite of the assurances of the security agencies to maintain peace.
This is coming as the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, declared its readiness to conduct credible polls with the Independent Corrupt Practices and other related Offences Commission, ICPC, warning against acts of electoral corruption in off-cycle elections.
ICPC deploys monitors
This was as the Commission also disclosed the deployment of its operatives to monitor the upcoming governorship elections in the states scheduled for Saturday, 11th November 2023.
According to a statement issued by the ICPC’s spokesperson, Azuka Ogugua on Thursday, it was revealed that the Commission’s operatives have been deployed to the 56 local government areas and 649 wards to monitor and prevent vote buying and other electoral malpractices at the various polling units during the electoral exercise.
The Commission disclosed that the monitoring exercise was a response to the invitation by the Chairman of the INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, for ICPC to participate in ensuring that the electoral processes in the three states were free and fair.
Addressing operatives before their deployment, the Commission’s Head of Special Duty Division (SDD), Alex Chukwura, urged them to collaborate with the Military, Police, Department of State Security, DSS, other security agencies, and INEC to ensure that the elections are free and fair.
He charged operatives to strictly adhere to the ICPC guidelines for monitoring elections, adding that “officers should always act with discipline and imbibe the spirit of integrity while on the field, staying close to each other and working as a team to achieve the desired goal”.
Officers were advised to take necessary actions against perpetrators of any acts of corruption in accordance with the law, no matter their social status in the election processes.
Voters in the three states were charged to go out on election day and perform their civic responsibilities while avoiding any act that could lead to electoral and other related offences.
