Bayelsa, Kogi to decide next governors November 2
Tunde Opalana, Abuja
The people of Bayelsa State, South South Nigeria and Kogi State, North Central will on November 2, 2019 decide their next governors as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the first Saturday in November as date for governorship elections in the two states.
Bayelsa State governor, Seriake Dickson of the Peoples Democratic Party who currently serve a second term will be vacating the seat while Yahaya Bello of the All Progressives Congress (APC) will be seeking re-election as governor of Kogi State.
INEC decision came at the meeting of election managers in Abuja on Tuesday.
The National Commissioner in charge of Information and Voters Education, Barrister Festus Okoye in a statement said the meeting approved the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Governorship elections in both States on Saturday 2nd November 2019”.
Schedule of activities released by INEC indicated that official notice for both elections will be issued on 1st August 2019, while political parties that intend to sponsor candidates are to hold their primaries for the nomination of such candidates from 2nd to 29th August 2019. \
Campaigns by Political Parties in public shall commence on 2nd August 2019 and end on 31st October 2019.
Okoye said parties sponsoring candidates are required to submit the list of their agents not later than 2nd October 2019.
He said “The stated timelines are in line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) and the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended).
INEC urged all stakeholders are urged to take cognizance of and adhere strictly to them.
The National Commisdioner further stated that the body agrred to commence Post Election Review in May adding that the Commission also approved a proposal to conduct an extensive review and debriefing on the 2019 general elections, in line with its existing practice.
Okoye said “this is intended to evaluate the Commission’s performance of the key activities of the general elections, with a view to addressing identified challenges and strengthening operational and institutional capacities to conduct free, fair, credible and peaceful elections”.
