The governorship elections in Kogi and
Bayelsa states scheduled for 21st November and 5th December, 2015 will
be keenly contested by a total of 42 candidates jostling for the two
governorship seats.
This information was contained in the
final list of the candidates published by the Independent National
Electoral Commission, and signed by the Acting Secretary to the
Commission, U. F. Usman.
The governorship elections in Kogi and
Bayelsa states scheduled for 21st November and 5th December, 2015 will
be keenly contested by a total of 42 candidates jostling for the two
governorship seats.
This information was contained in the
final list of the candidates published by the Independent National
Electoral Commission, and signed by the Acting Secretary to the
Commission, U. F. Usman.
The lists showed that Prince Audu
Abubakar and Abiodun Faleke are the candidates of the All Progressives
Congress while the incumbent Governor, Idris Wada, and his deputy,
Abayomi Awoniyi, will be contesting under the Peoples Democratic Party
in the election Kogi.
Among the contestants in Bayelsa State
are the incumbent Governor, Mr. Seriake Dickson, who is running with his
deputy, John Jonah, on the platform of the PDP.
A former Governor of the state, Chief
Timipre Sylva, and Titus Igiri as his deputy are the candidates of the
rival APC in the state.
Meanwhile, there were indications that
the national leadership of the PDP was afraid of what would be the
outcome of the two governorship elections.
Indications to this emerged following
the party’s loss of last Saturday’s Borno Central senatorial
bye-election, which was won by the APC.
The PDP, in a statement issued by its
spokesperson, Mr. Olisa Metuh in Abuja in Monday, however alleged that
the bye-election was manipulated.
He said members of his party, the PDP, should therefore they defend their votes in Kogi and Bayelsa states respectively.
Metuh said the call became necessary
following the alleged “continuous violation of electoral rules and
intimidation of opposition by the APC Federal Government, as manifested
in the conduct of the Borno Central senatorial bye-election.”
He alleged that the bye-election fell
short of all acceptable standards and was characterised by high-level
manipulations by the APC, which he alleged used compromised electoral
officers and security forces to muscle votes in its favour.
He said, “Last Saturday’s Borno Central
Senatorial Bye-election, where compromised electoral officials and
security forces were brazenly used to intimidate the electorate and
write votes for the APC, has brought this to the fore.
“This barefaced rape on our democracy is completely unacceptable and must not be allowed to continue in the country.
“In the light of this, therefore, the
national leadership of the PDP charges all our members and supporters
across the country, especially in Kogi and Bayelsa states, to be on the
alert ahead of the November 21 and December 5 governorship elections and
use every lawful means as citizens of Nigeria to protect their votes.”
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