LIVE: INEC begins collation of Bayelsa, Kogi Gov elections results

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, commenced collation of election results in the Bayelsa and Kogi states governorship elections conducted on November 11, 2023.

The collation in the two states began 24 hours after the poll.

There are eight local government areas in Bayelsa — Brass, Ekeremor, Kolokuma/Opokuma, Nembe, Ogbia, Sagbama, Southern Ijaw and Yenegoa.

Prof Faruq Kuta, who is the Vice Chancellor of the Federal University Of Technology, Minna, is the state Returning Officer for the election in Bayelsa.

Already, the Kuta-led centre has started collating election results brought before it by INEC local government collation officials before the eyes of party agents and electoral observers.

In Kogi, where INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, was present, results from 21 local government areas would be collated. They are Adavi, Ajaokuta, Ankpa, Bassa, Dekina, Ibaji, Idah, Ijumu, Igalamela-Odolu, Kabba/Bunu, Kogi, Lokoja, Mopa-Muro, Olamaboro, Ofu, Okehi, Omala, Ogori/Magongo, Okene, Yagba East and Yagba West.

Like Bayelsa and Kogi, governorship poll was held in Imo State on Saturday with Governor Hope Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) defeating Samuel Anyanwu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP)’s Nneji Achonu, and 15 other opponents. Uzodimma polled 540, 308 votes to defeat his closest rivals, PDP’s Anyanwu, who scored 71,503 votes and LP’s Achonu who got 64,081.

Sixteen political parties sponsored candidates for the election in Bayelsa and 18 in Kogi.

Governor Duoye Diri of Bayelsa State whilst Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State is out of the ballot, nearing the completion of his double terms of eight years.

Some of the top contenders in the November 11, 2023 poll in Kogi include Murtala Ajaka of the Social Democratic Party (SDP); Leke Abejide of the African Democratic Party (ADC); Dino Melaye of the PDP; and Usman Ododo of the APC, who is an ex-Auditor General of Local Government in Kogi under Bello.

in Bayelsa, Diri’s main opponent is a former Minister of State For Petroleum Resources and an ex-governor of the state, Timipre Sylva.

Sylva, the APC candidate in the poll, was first Bayelsa governor from May 2007 to April 2008 and later between May 2008 and January 2012.