Nigerians chose governors today

Unlike the Presidential and National Assembly elections which took place across the country a fortnight ago, today’s governorship and state assembly elections are taking place in only 28 states, as 6 and the FCT are not. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that today’s gubernatorial polls will follow due process, as well as […]

Unlike the Presidential and National Assembly elections which took place across the country a fortnight ago, today’s governorship and state assembly elections are taking place in only 28 states, as 6 and the FCT are not.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that today’s gubernatorial polls will follow due process, as well as assuring that Permanent Voters Card (PVC) readers remain fully in play.  Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary of INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, said in a statement that they have received reports that some political leaders are asking Nigerians to disregard its stated resolve to use the PVC and Smart Card Readers (SCRs) for the elections.
Idowu regretted that a particular state governor in the North Central geo-political zone reportedly assured voters in the state that they could come out to vote with their Temporary Voter Cards (TVCs) if they do not have the PVC, and that INEC will not be allowed to insist on the use of SCRs for voter accreditation.
Also spokesman of the commission Mr. Nick Dazang said 6,050 candidates are contesting today’s elections with 760 candidates jockeying for governorship positions, while 5,290 candidates are contesting for state assemblies positions.
Also, the police seem revitalized, especially in the wake of court rulings barring military deployment for elections. Their conduct at the March 28 elections received kudos and this may have led the IGP Suleiman Abba to redeploy the rank and file, with senior officers told to directly superintend conduct of men deployed for the polls.
Police spokesperson, Emmanuel Ojukwu, who made the clarification in Abuja in a statement, also assured Nigerians that adequate security, logistics and manpower have been deployed to achieve a most conducive electioneering atmosphere.
Analysts are hazarding guesses that a ‘bandwagon effect’ following the victory of retired General Muhammadu Buhari of the All Progressives Congress (APC) over incumbent President Goodluck Jonathan of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is expected to favour the APC candidates, especially if the gale of defections from PDP bigwigs into APC is anything to go by.
In states like Gombe, Kebbi, Jigawa, Katsina and Kaduna among others, lawmakers, former party officials, former governors and deputy governors and other prominent PDP members have defected to the APC.
Reacting to the development, PDP’s Deputy National Publicity Secretary, Abdullahi Jalo, said the party is worried, but described the defectors as “trade-by-barter politicians.”
Speaking on the defections, the Transition Monitoring Group (TMG) said it may lead to the emergence of a one-party state of sorts, which may threaten the possibility of multi-party democracy in the country. The body’s chairman, Comrade Ibrahim M. Zikirullahi told Weekly Trust that the development is a direct blow to the very heart of Nigeria’s evolving democracy.
In the same vein the Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA) said today’s elections are equally important and that the hiccups noticed in the last elections especially on logistics and the card readers’ failures in many parts of the country should not be allowed to repeat itself.
Head Research Policy and Advocacy of YIAGA Samson Itodo told newsmen yesterday in Abuja that the organisation has deployed 530 stationary observers to 19 states of Abia, Adamawa, Akwa-Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Bornu, Ebonyi, Edo, Enugu, Gombe, Kano, Katsina, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Oyo, Plateau, Sokoto and Yobe states to monitor the elections and that the observers will use a specific checklist to assemble reports on the functionality of the card reader machines, compliance of electoral guidelines, deployment of election materials including ballot papers and result sheets, results collation and electoral fraud among others.
While warning against hindering party agents, media and observers from accessing result collation centres saying the credibility of elections is anchored on transparency and openness of the process of results collation, Itodo equally urged security agencies to remain impartial in the discharge of their duties and also urge all INEC personnel to resist all entreaties and pressure to compromise today’s elections.
While elections would not be taking place in FCT, Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ondo, Osun and Kogi states, it would be taking place in Ekiti (state assembly only) and 28 others: Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Gombe, Imo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Kogi, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Osun, Oyo, Rivers, Sokoto and Zamfara.