2 Million Voters Registered For Kogi Governorship Election – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) disclosed that two million registered voters are expected to participate in the off-cycle governorship election in Kogi on Saturday.

The election will take place in 3,508 polling units spread across the 21 Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state, including Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Igalamela/Odolu, Ijumu, Kabba-Bunu, Kogi, Lokoja, Mopamuro, Ofu, Ogori-Magongo, Okene, Okehi, Olamaboro, Omala, Yagba-East, and Yagba-West.

Dr Gabriel Longpet, the state INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, affirmed that the commission is fully prepared, having recruited over 15,000 ad hoc staff. Longpet explained the deployment of over 900 backup Biometric Verification and Authentication Systems (BVAS) to address potential issues in densely populated polling units.

The BVAS has been deployed across the 21 local government areas to ensure readiness for the election. Commissioner of Police, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, announced the deployment of over 40,000 policemen to ensure a peaceful election, citing past experiences of violence during elections in the state.

Onuoha emphasized the need for security checks in the state and urged citizens to exercise their civic rights. He assured that security personnel would be sufficient, and the election would surpass previous ones.

Eighteen political parties, including APC, PDP, SDP, LP, and AA, signed a peace accord ahead of the election. Retired Gen. Abdulsalam Abubakar, Chairman of the National Peace Committee, urged candidates to adhere to the accord during the election.