All Set for Kogi election

Tony Akowe, LokojaAll is now set for Saturdays governorship election in Kogi state as parties round off their campaigns on Thursday in line with the provisions of the Electoral Act, which stipulates that campaigns must end 48 hours to election.However, hotels and business places in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital, are making brisk business from the deluge of visitors to the state for Saturdays governorship election as all hotels in the ancient town had been fully booked as at Thursday afternoon.Several hotels visited by The Nation within the city centre were already booked, but it was not immediately clear whether the heavy human traffic was as a result of the election itself or the grand finale of the governorship campaign of the All Progressives Congress (APC), which took place on Thursday at the Lokoja Township Stadium.A trip round the town showed that security was relaxed, while posters of Governor Yahaya Bello were the only visible sign that election was taking place in the town this weekend.Read Also:Bayelsa/Kogi: Its either card reader or no votingINECAt a few of the places visited, a group of supporters wearing the Yahaya Bello, Edward Onoja T-shirt and fez cap were see beating traditional gongs and chanting campaign slogans.Also, most of the hotels visited were crowded by men and women wearing the same Yahaya Bello and Edward Onoja T-shirt and fez caps, giving an indication that the hotels might have been booked by the APC candidate.Our correspondent noticed some Toyota Hillux vans with INEC registration numbers and heavily guarded, heading towards Kogi East at about 6.00pm, an indication that they might have been conveying electoral materials to the area.Although it was gathered that Kogi East has about nine local government, The Nation noticed six of such vehicles travelling on the same convoy.Kogi State has a registered voting population of 1,646,350 with Dekina having the highest number of registered voters with 166,165, while Ogori Mangongo with 16,032 having the smallest number of registered voters.Saturdays election is expected to take place in 2,549 polling units spread across 239 wards in the 21 local government areas of the state.While the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Governor Bello hails from Kogi Central with five local governments, the PDP candidate, Engr. Musa Wada, hails from Kogi East with nine councils.Similarly, while Bellos deputy hails from Kogi East, Wadas deputy hails from Kogi West.Sources in Lokoja told The Nation that Governor Bello and his party had done more campaign across the state than the PDP and its candidate, but argued that the APC also appeared to be having the upper hand in the balance of terror.Also on Saturday, the rerun senatorial election will be held in the Western senatorial district of the state, following the nullification of the election of Senator Dino Melaye by the Court of Appeal.However, not much has been heard about the campaign for the Senatorial ticket.
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