Welcome to Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States Governorship Elections Live Updates & Reports Centre.
The Editor Nigeria reports that the good people of Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi States will head to the polls today for their off-cycle elections to elect their next governors for the next four years.
These elections cover the South East, South South and North Central regions of Nigeria.
This Nigeria news platform understands that in Imo and Bayelsa, the incumbents are seeking re-election, while Kogi State is set to elect a new governor.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) aims to maintain power in Kogi and Imo States, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will strive to retain power in Bayelsa State.
Bayelsa has historically been a PDP stronghold since 1999 and quickly regained power after losing it in 2019 due to a Supreme Court verdict.
Governor Douye Diri, running for a second term under the PDP, faces major challengers: former Governor Timipre Sylva of the APC and Udengs Eradiri of the Labour Party (LP).
In Kogi State, the electorate will vote for a new state leader as Governor Yahaya Bello exits office after his two constitutional terms.
The APC candidate, Ododo Usman Ahmed, endorsed by the incumbent, competes against Murtala Yakubu Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Dino Melaye of the PDP, and Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
In Imo, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had cleared 17 candidates for today’s governorship election.
Leading the pack are Governor Uzodinma of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Labour Party’s Athan Achonu.
Meanwhile, Editor Nigeria will provide situation reports from these states as events unfold.
Stick with Editor Nigeria Nigeria as we bring real-time updates to you.
9:00 am: Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the off-cycle governorship election in Bayelsa State, Governor Douye Diri, has voted at his polling unit.
Naija News understands that the incumbent governor arrived at the polling unit a few minutes before 9 a.m. and immediately went through the voting process.
8:30: Voting has commenced in Ward 6 unit 16 Amarata, Yanagoa
8: 20: Armoured Personal Carrier on duty at Adankolo -Lokoja, an area notorious for violence.
For refusing the command of thugs to leave the voting line, a young man was killed at a polling unit at Adankolo-Lokoja in 2019. The deceased had insisted to vote for the candidate of his choice when the hoodlums gunned him down
8:13: There is heavy deployment of security personnel across places where election will hold.
Hundreds of thousands of voters filed out even before polling stations opened across these three states on Saturday morning.
Bayelsa: Unknown gunmen have reportedly kidnapped the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Supervising Presiding Officer (SPO) assigned to registration area 06 in Ossioma, Sagbama Local Government Area of Bayelsa State
The INEC official, whose identity was not known, was abducted at Amassoma Community in Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of the state while waiting to board a boat at a jetty in the area.
