The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has fixed the off-cycle governorship elections in Kogi, Bayelsa and Imo States for Saturday, November 11, 2023 .
The tenure of the incumbent Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzondimma, ends on January 14, 2024, while that of Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi and Governor Douye Douri of Bayelsa will end on January 26, 2024 and February 13, 2024, respectively.
Uzodimma will complete his first term in office and he has already emerged as the APC candidate in the forthcoming governorship poll in Imo.
Diri is also going on a second term on the PDP platform, while Bello is currently rounding up his second term in office.
According to the INEC time-table,. public campaign for the elections started on June 14 and will end on November 9, 2023.
Ahead of these upcoming Governorship Elections, the National Working Committee, (NWC) of the People’s Democratic Party, (PDP) has intensified its preparation as it has set up a 363 members campaign council to coordinate its campaign in the three states.
According to a document signed and released by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, Campaign Council for Bayelsa State has the highest number of party leaders, with 122 members.
This was followed by Imo States with 121 members and Kogi State with 120 members.
Taraba State Governor, Kefas Agbu is the chairman of the committee in charge of Bayelsa State, and he is to be assisted by Chinedu Nwoko, who will serve as Deputy Chairman.
Other party leaders that have been assigned to serve on his team include: Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, his Rivers State counterpart, Siminalayi Fubara, former Governor of the state, Senator Seriake Dickson, PDP’s Deputy National Chairman (South), Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja and former Delta State Governor, Chief James Ibori, among others.
Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke is the chairman of the campaign committee for the Kogi State governorship election.
Plateau State Governor, Caleb Muftwang, will serve as Deputy Chairman. Other members of the committee include: Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, former Senate President, David Mark, former PDP National Chairman, Ahmadu Ali among others.
Zamfara State Governor, Lawal Dauda, has been chosen to lead the campaign for the Imo State election.
His Akwa Ibom State counterpart, Umo Eno, will serve as the Deputy Chairman while other members of the committee include: former Senate President and Ag. Chairman of the PDP Board of Trustees, Adolphus Wabara, former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Emeka Ihedioha, Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, Sen. Sam Egwu, Hon. Ndudi Elumelu, Chief Achike Udenwa and Governor Peter Mba, of Enugu State among others.
The PDP last Wednesday inaugurated its National Campaign Council for the three states with a charge to the council ‘to go and conquer’.
The acting National Chairman of the party, Umar Damagun, charged the Campaign Council and the candidates to ensure victory at the polls.
The inauguration of the campaign councils and the presentation of certificates of return was held at the party’s national secretariat, Abuja.
In his remarks, shortly before the inauguration, Damagun urged members of the campaign team in the three states to deploy their knowledge of the political terrain to woo supporters to vote for the PDP candidates on November 11.
He reminded members of the campaign teams not to do anything unlawful, arguing that the fact that other political parties do such things was not an excuse for PDP members to do the same.
Damagum told the councils, “You have been selected carefully because of what you can do, regardless of where you come from. We have confidence in you, that you will go there and conquer. We expect nothing but victory.
“You are going in at a time when the country as it is, everybody is feeling the burden of the mistakes that have happened in this country. What is expected of you is to go there and remind them that this is not what we bargained for and that there is a time God in his infinite mercies gives us to change the course of history, and this is the time.
“We will have Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi. These are PDP states. Somehow, they slipped away but Bayelsa has always had a PDP governor. I want to challenge everyone in this country to look at the states governed by PDP governors viz-a-viz the other parties. We have always excelled.
“I want to use this opportunity to congratulate you and urge you to do what you know how to do best and at the same time, play within the rules. Everybody knows that our party has always respected the rule of law. The fact that they are doing the contrary does not mean we should change our minds. We should not follow them; we should always play by the rules.”
On his part, the Bayelsa governor and candidate of the party, Diri confidently said that all will be well. He assured that the PDP was united and enjoyed 80 per cent in the state.
He said, ” The PDP is very sure of victory in Bayelsa State. We don’t have any internal crisis in the PDP in the state. We are well organised and as a matter of fact, we have more members of the opposition coming into PDP in Bayelsa State. Bayelsa PDP is very strong , vibrant and poised to win the election “.
Speaking, the PDP governorship candidate for Imo State and National Secretary of the PDP, Samuel Anyanwu, also expressed optimism to win.
“Imo is traditionally a PDP State. What you have there now is a product of the court. I am back to reclaim the mandate of the PDP,” he said.
The PDP governorship candidate for Kogi State, Dino Melaye, opined that with him as the PDP candidate, the All Progressives Congress would become history in November.
He said: “I just want to announce that as far as this election is concerned in Kogi State, APC is history. APC has gone into oblivion. PDP is the party to beat in Kogi State and I assure the people of Kogi State, that my name is Daniel and Daniel is used to taming lions. I befriend lions, I kiss lions and subdue lions.”
Speaking while delivering an acceptance speech on behalf of the Chairmen of the Governorship Campaign Councils for the three states, Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, described the PDP as a widely beloved political party that had worked and was still working to satisfy the aspirations of Nigerians.
“When you vote PDP, you vote light, development and progress. Kogi, Imo and Bayelsa states want light and good governance. We will work hard to deliver for our governorship candidates. Light will prevail over darkness in all these forthcoming elections,” he said.
A cross section of PDP leaders who spoke with THEWILL assured that their party will win the three governorship elections, come November 11, 2023.
They based their optimism on their claims that the three states were traditionally PDP states.
They said the temporary setback in Kogi and Bayelsa States will be corrected at the November poll.
Speaking on the PDP’s preparation for the forthcoming governorship election, a political commentator based in Abuja, Ismaila Jato said the early preparation by the PDP may give it an edge in the elections.
About the Author
AYO ESAN, has been actively reporting and analyzing political events for different newspapers for over 18 years. He has also successfully covered national and state elections in Nigeria since the inception of this democracy in 1999.
