LIVE UPDATES: Bayelsa, Kogi Governorship Elections – Over 20 Other Parties Vie For Power
By [youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVH3vmpoOVA]
Residents of Bayelsa and Kogi states will today vote to determine who will govern the state for the next four years.
In Bayelsa, 45 candidates are in the governorship race, according to data from the Independent National Electoral Commission. Mr David Lyon of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Senator Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party are believed to be the top contenders in the race.
The race is expected to produce a successor to Governor Seriake Dickson who is in the final months of his second term.
In Kogi, a tight race is expected, involving 24 candidates. It is a heated race with Governor Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress seeking re-election, while the man he and his party ousted from power, Musa Wada of the Peoples Democratic Party, is a leading candidate to stop him and claim the second term he missed out on four years ago.
The build-up to the election has been dramatic and sometimes violent. Just on Thursday, the candidate of the Social Democratic Party, Natasha Akpoti, was attacked outside the venue of a meeting between stakeholders and the Inspector General of the Police and the INEC Chairman.
An added dimension to today’s election in Kogi is the Senatorial election rerun in Kogi West which pits old foes Dino Melaye of the PDP and Smart Adeyemi of the APC against each other once again. Melaye had ousted Adeyemi from the Senate as a member of the APC in 2015. At the time, Adeyemi was a member of the PDP.
Both men later switched camps with Melaye being declared winner of the February 23, 2019 election in the district, a declaration the court later nullified and called for fresh elections.
Ahead of the elections, President Muhammadu Buhari called for fairness and transparency and the IGP promised to ensure peace so the people can vote. Opposition party leaders, however, expressed fears about whether the votes would be peaceful and fair.
Channels TV reporters are on the ground to keep you updated about happenings in both states. Stay with us and keep refreshing this page for fresh updates.
Meanwhile, suspected thugs have attempted to snatch ballot papers in the Odu-Ogboyaga Ward 1 of Dekina Local Government Area in Kogi State, where the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr Musa Wada cast his vote.
The thugs were, however, confronted by youths and security officials who threw stones at them to secure the electoral materials. READ…
Suspected Thugs Storm Kogi PDP Governorship Candidate’s Polling Unit
10: 50AM: Electoral officials and materials are yet to arrive at the polling units in former President Goodluck Jonathan’s hometown, Otuoke in Bayelsa State.
10:41 AM: Senator Smart Adeyemi has just arrived at Ijumu Iyara 002 polling unit where he is expected to cast his vote.
He has joined the queue, waiting to get accredited and cast his vote.
10:30 AM: Some wards and units were merged together in Sagbama LGA of Bayelsa State because some communities were flooded.
10:15 AM: Voting going on smoothly at Amule polling unit in Lokoja, Kogi State.
10:10 AM: PDP Deputy Governorship Candidate, Senator Lawrence Ewrhujakpor, casts his vote at Ofoni Community in Bayelsa State.
9:47 AM: In Brass Constituency I in Bayelsa, distribution of materials to the various polling units started at about 7am.
Accreditation has begun but voting is yet to commence in Polling Units 7 and 3 in Ward One.
9:40AM: Accreditation process is about to commence at Unit 013 in Epie III, Amarata in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.
9:14 AM: Senator Dino Melaye casts his ballot after he was accredited.
According to him, he got information that some areas in his ward were being attacked by thugs and has informed the police.
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8:49 AM: Governor Yahaya Bello and his wife, Aminat, get accredited at a polling unit in Agasa in Okene LGA of Kogi State.
He hails INEC for the conduct of the poll.
8:46 AM: Accreditation has started and there is no issue reported with the smart card reader at Ward 4 in Odoware Town Hall in Bayelsa State.
Security operatives are also present while pregnant women and the elderly are being given preference at the ward.
8:42 AM: At ward 6 in Epie in Bayelsa, there is a delay as electoral officials are yet to arrive with the materials for the exercise. Voting and accreditation have yet to commence.
8:35 AM: Card reader malfunction was reported at Polling Unit 8 in Ward 4 in Nembe LGA of Bayelsa State. However, an electoral official is addressing the issue.
8:30 AM: There are four electoral officials and three security operatives present as accreditation and voting commenced at a polling unit in Okpoama in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State.
The exercise is said to be going on smoothly.
8:28 AM: Accreditation and voting have commenced at a polling unit in Gboloko Ward in Bassa LGA of Kogi State.
There are eight security operatives present, comprising men of the police, NSCDC, and Nigeria Customs Service.
Meanwhile, some voters in Kogi West senatorial district are gradually coming out to cast their ballot for the governorship and senatorial elections.
Others arrived very early at the Ajayi Crowther Memorial School in Lokoja, waiting to vote for the candidates of their choice as electoral officials prepare for the exercise.
See some photos below:
8:24 AM: Suspected thugs said to have disrupted exercise in Omala LGA in Kogi State.
8:15 AM: Channels TV correspondent, Kayla Megwa, gives updates from Lokoja, Kogi State capital. She says there was a delay as a result of the late arrival of security personnel.
She adds that INEC ad-hoc staff arrived at their duty posts very early and were ready to deploy materials across the state but no security operative was attached to them.
Ajayi Crowther Primary School in Lokoja, according to here, is one of the biggest polling units in Lokoja and security operatives arrived at about a few minutes to 8am and voting has yet to commence.
7:42 AM: Electoral officials and materials set to be deployed to various polling units following the arrival of security personnel in Ajayi Crowther Primary School in Lokoja A (Kogi State).
7:33 AM: Yenagoa: In the Bayelsa State capital, INEC officials are setting up polling units for voting.
Here are some photos below:
7:29 AM: The Ajayi Crowther Primary School in Lokoja A (Kogi State) has 27 polling units 100 voting points 49,374 registered voters.
There are only two security officers deployed there from Friday and the electoral officials are unable to deploy to the polling units due to the absence of security personnel to accompany them and the materials.