INEC Fixes Dates For Kogi, Bayelsa Gov Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed dates for the conduct of governorship elections in Kogi and Bayelsa states.

The commission said in Abuja on Friday that governorship election will hold in Kogi State on November 21 while that of Bayelsa State is to hold on December 5, 2015.

This information was contained in a statement by INEC’s Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Dr. Chris Iyimoga.

Iyimoda added that primaries for the elections shall be held on or before August 23, 2015 and September 5, 2015, respectively for the two states in accordance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2014 (as amended).

The commission added that campaigns by political parties shall commence on July 24 and end on November 29 in Kogi while that of Bayelsa will be from September 6 to December 4, 2015.

Governorship elections did not hold in the affected states during the last April 11 governorship election because the tenure of the two governors have yet to end.

The two states are in the hand of the main opposition party, the Peoples Democratic Party.

However, while Governor Idris Wada of Kogi State is battling with the All Progressives Congress, which has made serious incursion into the state, Governor Seriake Dickson on the other, is facing internal rebellion within his party in Bayelsa State.

The APC had the upper hand in Kogi State during the last general electios.

Meanwhile, there are also rumours that Wada may be denied his party’s ticket for the election due to what a member of the National Working Committee of the PDP attributed to the governor’s “poor performance.”

“The information we are having is that Wada is not doing well and that if we field him, we may lose the state,” the source added.

Indication that Wada may not have things easy appears to be manifesting.

When the governor visited the party headquarters over the cancellation of the ad-hoc delegates for the Ward Congresses in the state 10 days ago, he stormed out of the party national secretariat, shortly after meeting with the Acting National Chairman of the party, Prince Uche Secondus.

Wada, who arrived at the party secretariat early in the morning to have a meeting the NWC, was kept waiting for hours.