It is another election season in Imo, Kogi and Bayelsa States as citizens or residents of the mentioned states prepare to elect their next Governors.
There are about eighteen political parties in Nigeria but the 2023 general election brought out three main political parties which are the All Progressive Congress (APC), the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP). Other parties still have supporters but the majority of the support bases goes to the dominant three political parties due to the personalities of their presidential candidates during the 2023 presidential election in Nigeria.
In Kogi State, the incumbent Governor is not eligible to run again for the November 11 Governorship election because he is almost completing his two terms of office as allowed by the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as amended. He is backing the anointed candidate of his party All Progressive Congress(APC) which is the ruling party in Nigeria. In the election, APC’s major opponent is the flag bearer of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Senator Dino Melaye. In another news made public by Senator Melaye, the candidate of Labour Party as recognized by the Supreme Court has endorsed the PDP flag bearer and collapsed the structure to form a coalition with the candidate of PDP to secure election victory instead of going into the race as a divided opposition in the State. The winner of the November 11 Gubernatorial election in Kogi will be decided by voters only.
In Imo State, the incumbent Governor is running for his second term in office unlike his Kogi counterpart and he is the official flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC) which has been a ruling party in Imo State starting from the time of Senator Rochas Okorocha and the later supreme court sack of the former Deputy Speaker of House of Representatives Rt. Hon. Emeka Ihedioha from Mbaise in Imo State. His sack as the Governor of Imo State restored All Progressive Congress (APC) as the ruling party in the State after the Supreme Court affirmed His Excellency Senator Hope Uzodimma the winner of the then Governorship election. As 11th November Gubernatorial election approaches in Imo State, the incumbent Governor and the candidate of the APC are facing competition drawn from the candidates of the Labour Party and the People’s Democratic Party in the State. A clear analysis posits that the Governor of Imo State who is also a candidate in the election, enjoys the power of incumbency, national support as his party is the ruling party in Nigeria and also the division of opposition parties in the State. APC also controls House of Assembly seats in Imo State as no opposition party won any seat during the House of Assembly Election held in March 2023. The three leading candidates from APC, PDP and LP have done their best to woo voters and only the voters have the ultimate power to elect the next Governor of Imo State on the 11th November 2023.
In Bayelsa State, the incumbent Governor of Bayelsa State His Excellency Senator Doye Diri is also a candidate in the November 11 Governorship election. He is the candidate/ flag bearer of the People’s Democratic Party ( PDP) for the election and running for his second tenure. Though he enjoys the support of the former president of Nigeria His Excellency Goodluck Ebele Jonathan, the former Governor of Bayelsa State Senator Seriaki Dickson and other notable big names in Bayelsa State, he is also facing a big opponent from the All Progressive Congress (APC) who happened to be a former Governor of Bayelsa State and a former Minister of petroleum for State. In other viral news, the court has ruled that the APC candidate/flag bearer is eligible to contest and INEC has included his name as a candidate for the election. Honourable Timpre Sylva understands the election of Bayelsa State and also has supporters in the State as a former Governor and former minister. The decision of who becomes the next Governor of Bayelsa State will only be revealed by voters.