The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that five political parties will participate in the poll
Kogi State is set to hold a crucial by-election this Saturday for the Dekina-Okura State Constituency seat in the House of Assembly. The election comes in the wake of the death of Hon. Enema Paul, the former Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, who passed away on December 14, 2024.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that five political parties will participate in the poll. They are the Accord Party (AP), African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Kogi State, Dr. Oliver Agundu, announced the commission’s readiness for the exercise on Wednesday in Lokoja. Speaking through INEC’s Education Officer, Haruna Haliru, Dr. Agundu assured that preparations are complete and all necessary measures have been taken to ensure a smooth process.
As part of the security arrangements, INEC convened a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES). The meeting focused on strategies for protecting electoral officials, safeguarding materials, and maintaining order before, during, and after the polls.
According to Dr. Agundu, all non-sensitive materials have already been deployed to the local government area, while sensitive materials are scheduled to arrive between Wednesday and Thursday.
In addition, INEC has completed training for Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs), most of whom are staff members of the commission. Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs) were also trained in Anyigba between August 8 and 10 to ensure competence and efficiency on election day.
The REC further pledged that the by-election would be conducted in a free, fair, transparent, and credible manner. He urged all registered voters in the constituency to turn out in large numbers, exercise their franchise peacefully, and vote for candidates of their choice.