Hale Gabriel Longpet, the Honourable Resident Electoral Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kogi State, has announced that 1.833 million residents are set to cast their votes tomorrow, November 11, 2023, in the quest to elect the next Governor of the Confluence state.
Addressing the media in a press briefing held at the Kogi State INEC office, Longpet provided insights into the magnitude of this electoral process, revealing that there are 18 political parties contesting, with 18 governorship candidates, of whom 17 are male and 1 is female.
“In less than 24 hours, 1.83 million Nigerians who collected their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) are expected to vote in off-cycle Governorship elections,” stated Longpet. “This is the first time in our history that these elections are held on the same day and across three geo-political zones of the country: North Central (Kogi), South East (Imo), and South South (Bayelsa).”
Furthermore, Longpet underscored the importance of impartiality, calling on all election officials to exhibit the highest level of patriotism and professionalism. He emphasised INEC’s neutral stance, asserting, “INEC is not a political party, and we have no candidate in the election. Our responsibility is to safeguard the process and ensure a level playing field for all political parties and candidates. The choice of who becomes the Governor of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States is entirely in the hands of voters.”
Read also: Kogi: Democracy tested as state decides its 7th civilian governor
In the lead-up to the election, Longpet disclosed that there were initially 1.93 million registered voters, but 1.83 million, constituting a 5.13 percent difference, have collected their Permanent Voters Card (PVC), a crucial requirement to participate in the electoral process.
Speaking at the event, Shehu Abdul Baba, Administrative Secretary of INEC in Kogi State, provided insights into the logistics and real-time reporting of results. Baba assured that results would be transmitted to the IREV (INEC Results Viewing) platform promptly. Addressing potential network challenges in areas like Ajaokuta, he highlighted contingency plans and the allocation of adequate resources to address any lapses.
Highlighting security measures, Baba stated the commitment to securing residents during the voting process and safeguarding collation centers. This commitment stems from a determination to prevent a recurrence of incidents from past elections, where staff members faced interruptions.
Continuing the briefing, Longpet detailed the arrangements made for land and maritime transportation to ensure timely commencement of voting. He affirmed, “In spite of the extremely difficult terrain and physical infrastructure in some locations, we are determined to ensure that our officials are there waiting for voters rather than the voters waiting for our arrival.”
For these off-cycle elections, the Commission is deploying two (2) National Commissioners, nine (9) Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs), and Administrative Secretaries (ASs), along with additional staff from different States, to each of the three States. They will be strategically deployed across the senatorial zones in the States to facilitate and oversee the electoral process.
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