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.”
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.
