The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on Sunday, commenced the collation of election results in the Kogi State Governorship Election conducted on November 11, 2023.
The collation in the North Central state began 24 hours after the poll.
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 Kogi, governorship elections were held in Bayelsa State and 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.
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 where collation also resumed on Sunday, DP’s Governor Douye 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.