Pre-election Press Statement on the 2023 Off-Cycle Governorship Elections in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States
On November 11, 2023, 5,169,962 registered voters with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) will vote to elect governors across Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States. These are the first elections after Nigeria’s contentious and controversial 2023 general elections. The commitment of key democratic institutions such as the Independent National Electoral Commission, security agencies and the executive to restore public confidence in the electoral process will be tested in Saturday’s polls. As the pre-election climate in these states suggests, they are high-stakes elections with the potential for violence. Nigerians in the three states desire a safe environment to cast their ballot without violence, suppression or intimidation. As these voters proceed to the polls, they expect timely deployment of election materials, early commencement of accreditation and voting and transparent counting and collation of results to ensure the outcome reflects the people’s will.
