General News
INEC Chairman Reveals Plans for November 11 Governorship Elections
By Iyojo Ameh
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has unveiled comprehensive preparations for the off-cycle governorship elections scheduled to take place on November 11 in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states.
With the participation of 5,409,438 registered voters across 56 Local Government Areas and 649 electoral Wards, INEC is set to deploy a total of 46,084 regular and ad hoc staff for the elections.
In his statement, Prof. Yakubu emphasized that all non-sensitive election materials have already been delivered to the respective states, ensuring the logistical groundwork is in place.
The media will play a vital role in covering these elections, with 80 media organizations applying for accreditation to deploy 1,203 personnel, including journalists and technical/support staff. The portal for media accreditation will close on Tuesday, October 24, 2023.
Political parties participating in the elections are also gearing up, with 18 parties deploying a substantial number of agents. A total of 137,934 agents, comprising 130,093 polling agents and 7,841 collation agents, will be present to oversee the election processes.
To address the extensive logistical challenges posed by the vast terrain of these states, INEC is finalizing arrangements for vehicles and boats for the movement of personnel and materials on both land and maritime routes.
Security remains a paramount concern, with the commission acknowledging the existing insecurity and election-related violence in the three states. Although security agencies have provided assurances of adequate deployment, INEC plans to deepen its engagement with them to ensure a secure environment for the elections. Additional meetings are scheduled in the coming days to further address these concerns.