Today, tension has resumed across the 36 states as various political parties seek to increase their popularity in the governorship and state assembly elections.
There are 28 governorship seats and 993 state assembly seats at stake.
Today, 15 states are expected to hold supplementary elections for the National Assembly.
The polls come three weeks after the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, won the presidential election and the National Assembly election.
The tension generated ahead of today’s polls snowballed into violence in Ibadan on Thursday when APC supporters clashed with those of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at Ile-Tuntun area of Ibadan South East Local Government. Three people were killed in the clash.
The Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee called for calm ahead of the polls while expressing worries over ”open threats of intimidation and violence by certain elements within the society.”
Only 11 of the serving governors are seeking re-election today while the tenure of the remaining 17 will expire on May 29 upon the completion of the maximum two terms allowed by the constitution.
The governorship election will take place in Abia, Adamawa, Akwa Ibom, Bauchi, Benue, Borno, Cross River, Delta, Ebonyi, Enugu, Gombe, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano, Katsina, Kebbi, Kwara, Lagos, Nasarawa, Niger, Ogun, Oyo, Plateau, Rivers, Sokoto, Taraba, Yobe and Zamfara.
That of Anambra, Bayelsa, Edo, Ekiti, Imo, Kogi, Osun, and Ondo is ‘off-season’ but the state assembly polls will be conducted in all the states today.
Seeking re-election as governors are Adamu Fintiri (Adamawa), Bala Mohammed (Bauchi), Babagana Zulum (Borno), Muhammad Inuwa (Gombe), AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq (Kwara), Babajide Sanwo-Olu (Lagos), Abdullahi Sule (Nasarawa), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun)Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Mai Mala Buni (Yobe) and Bello Matawalle (Zamfara).
Observers believe that the governorship election will be particularly tough in Lagos, Kano, Rivers, Kaduna, Oyo, Delta, Enugu, Abia, Plateau, Gombe, Nasarawa and Cross River among others, in view of the upsets recorded in the states during the February 25 presidential and National Assembly elections.
In Lagos, the APC is determined to reverse its loss to the Labour Party in the presidential election and to the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) in Kano.
Sanwo-Olu and other APC leaders, including House of Representatives Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila and the Chairman, Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM), Mrs Abike Dabiri-Erewa, hit the roads campaigning vigorously for the party.
Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, who is on war path with his party’s presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, and failed to work for him in the last election, is pulling all the strings to ensure victory for his anointed governorship and state assembly candidates.
Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde is believed to be walking a tight rope as he battles to recover the grounds lost by PDP to APC in the last polls in the state.
Makinde is a member of the G-5 in the PDP against Atiku’s aspiration.
The other members of the group are Wike and Governors Ifeanyi Ugwuayi (Enugu), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia) and Samuel Ortom (Benue).
Governors Inuwa and Sule also face an uphill task in their states in their re-election bids.
Governors Ortom, Ugwuanyi, Ikpeazu, Darius Ishaku (Taraba), Simon Lalong (Plateau), Ben Ayade (Cross River), and Atiku Bagudu (Kebbi) all lost their bids for the Senate, while Delta Governor Ifeanyi Okowa, who is also the PDP vice presidential candidate, could not deliver the state for his party.
The upsets provoked a flurry of meetings, consultations, strategy sessions and intense campaigns by the parties with the winners optimistic of repeating their feats today while the losers say they have learnt their lessons and have fixed whatever went wrong the last time.
The upsets have also put many politicians and political appointees under severe pressure to deliver their polling units or wards for their parties today or face the consequences.
At least one local government in Enugu State has suspended payment of salaries and allowances to all political appointees until after the election, with a warning to them to deliver their polling units for the PDP today.
The PDP, for the first time since the return of civil rule in 1999, was floored in the state in the presidential election.
Igbo-Etiti Local Government, in a February 28, 2023 memo to its political appointees entitled ‘Cessation of Salaries and Other Allowances’, said: “Be informed that salaries and allowances of all political appointees of the local government council have been put on hold until after the election.
“All concerned (political appointees) are to deliver on their political mandates in their various polling units, etc to the PDP in the elections with evidence thereafter after which the restrictions on salaries and allowances will be lifted, if need be.”
For Governors Charles Soludo (Anambra), Godwin Obaseki (Edo) and Ademola Adeleke (Osun), their common headache is how their parties can win the majority of the assembly seats and spare themselves the stress of having a hostile legislature.
In Kwara State, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRasaq, will be hoping to beat his main challenger from the PDP, Alhaji Shuaib Yaman Abdullahi, for a fresh mandate in Government House ,Ilorin.
The APC is also expected to do well in the state assembly election after making a clean sweep of the National Assembly polls and delivering the state for its presidential candidate,Asiwaju Tinubu with 263,572 votes.
The APC had come from the brink to keep the PDP and former governor of the state, Dr.Bukola Saraki out of power for at least another four years.
NASS supplementary election scheduled for 15 states
Forty-one National Assembly seats in eight senatorial districts and 33 federal constituencies will be contested alongside the governorship and assembly elections today.
They include the senatorial election in Enugu East which was shifted on account of the death the Labour Party candidate, Oyibo Chukwu, and the House of Representatives election in Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben which was deferred because of the omission of the logo of one of the parties.
Following is a breakdown of the supplementary senatorial election: Enugu East, Kebbi North, Plateau Central, Yobe South, Zamfara Central, and Sokoto East, North and South.
Supplementary elections into the House of Representatives will be conducted in Abak/Etim Ekpo/Ika and Ikono/In both in Akwa Ibom State; Esan Central/Esan West/Igueben and Orhionmwon/Uhunmwode in Edo State; Ikeduru/Mbaitoli and Isu/Njaba/Nkwere/Nwangele in Imo State; Doguwa/Tudun Wada and Fagge in Kano State; Arewa/Dandi and Koko/Besse/Maiyoma in Kebbi State; Ibadan North East/Ibadan South East and Oluyole in Oyo State; Gokana/Khana and Port Harcourt II in Rivers State and Ummi/Bukkuyum and Gusau/Tsafein Zamfara State.
The elections will also take place in Takum/Donga/Ussa in Taraba State; Bassa/Dekina in Kogi State; Gumel/Maigatari/Sule Tankarkar/Gagarawa in Jigawa State; Ezza North/Ishielu in Ebonyi State; Southern Ijaw in Bayelsa State and Igbaru in Anambra State.
Abdulsalami: We’re alarmed by threats of intimidation, violence
The Abdulsalami Abubakar-led National Peace Committee warned that the ‘open threats of intimidation and violence by certain elements within the society’ ahead of today’s elections was alarming.
He deplored the resort to ethnic and religious sentiments by some people to achieve their political goals.
He therefore called for calm by all and sundry.
“The presidential election has come and gone. However, problems have arisen from the process of the collation, transmission and release of the final results,” he said in Abuja.
He added: “This has generated the crisis that we now find ourselves in. Notwithstanding all this, we are pleased and encouraged by the mature attitude of the candidates who contested the presidential election.
“We are encouraged by the restraint they have exhibited and their commitment to seek justice through due process. This is in keeping with the spirit of the Peace Accord. We therefore appeal to supporters of all the parties and our citizens to please follow the good example of their leaders and remain law abiding till the process is brought to an end.
“This weekend, on March 18 2023, the second round of elections for the governorship and state assemblies will be conducted. We are worried by the open threats of intimidation and violence by certain elements within the society who are using ethnic and religious labels to achieve their intentions of voter suppression.
“We appeal to the security and law enforcement agencies to remain alert and to bring to book anyone, no matter their position in society, who poses a threat to the peaceful conduct of the elections. We encourage all citizens not to be intimidated and to go out and exercise their God given rights.”
On the same day, suspected thugs of the PDP attacked APC members who were holding a meeting at Ile-Tuntun area of Ibadan South East Local Gvernment Area, killing three people and destroying vehicles.
The APC assembly candidate in Constituency 2, Wariths Alawuje, who was at the meeting, escaped death by a whisker.
17 political parties commit to peaceful election in Sokoto
The 17 political parties participating in the March 18 governorship and state House of Assembly election in Sokoto State have committed to ensuring peaceful polls in the state.
The parties, under the auspices of Inter-Party Advisory Committee (IPAC), made the commitment at a press conference in Sokoto.
Alhaji Abba Sidi, the state IPAC Vice Chairman, said the party chairmen had come to an agreement that any person who creates violence during the election should be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.
Sidi, the Chairman of Action Peoples Party (APP), said: “We have all agreed that whoever causes any violence before, during and after the election is doing so at his own risk and security agencies should take charge.
“So, our party supporters should take note that we are not going to take responsibility for any election violence.”
Also speaking, Alhaji Isa Sadiq-Achida and Alhaji Bello Goronyo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Chairmen respectively, said they are all committed to the agreement.
The chairmen, in separate remarks, assured that the political parties had agreed that whoever emerges at the polls would be accepted by all.
“We have made the commitment and accepted such, so the good people of Sokoto State who are eligible to vote should come peacefully without any fear of intimidation to elect their leaders.
“Our gubernatorial candidates have signed a peace accord which we are also committed to,” the Chairmen added.
Lawan launches ward-to-ward campaign for Yobe gov
Senate President Ahmad Lawan on Thursday embarked on a ward-to-ward campaign for Yobe State Governor Mai Mala Buni ahead of today’s polls.
Buni is seeking re-election on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Lawan, a close ally of Buni, campaigned across his Yobe North Senatorial District to return Buni for a second time and also for all APC candidates for the State House of Assembly.
Shortly after his re-election last month for a fifth term in the Senate, Lawan began intense consultations with his constituents in Yobe North ahead of these Saturday governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
On Thursday, Lawan visited Dumsai/Dogon-Kuka Ward in Nguru Local Government Area, Jajimaji in Karasuwa LGA and ended up in the night at Jakusko LGA.
APGA hopeful of guber victory in Abia, Ebonyi, Enugu — Chairman
All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) National Chairman Victor Oye said the party is contesting the governorship and state assembly elections to win.
Oye told journalists in Awka that APGA would sustain a firmer majority seats in Anambra State House of Assembly because of the quality of governance it has delivered in the state in the last 17 years as well as the quality of candidates it is fielding across the 30 state constituencies.
Oye, who maintained that APGA remained the third largest party in Nigeria, warned the Nigerian electorate and Anambra in particular not to vote according to emotions but credible candidates.
He said that APGA was fielding the best candidates in Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu states in the persons of Prof. Greg Ibe, Prof. Benard Odo and Mr Frank Nweke Jr. respectively.
He said the candidates were the most qualified among their opponents, adding that they were unblemished, exposed and with proven records of public service.
He said: “APGA is going into this election as a strong and formidable force across the country, from Taraba to Benue, Plateau to Abia, and all other states where we have governorship and House of Assembly candidates.
“We hope to win in Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu states, and that will bring the number of states controlled by APGA in the Southeast alone to four and by November, Imo will join.
“For Anambra, we expect nothing less than 30/30 victory for APGA because the party has performed from the time of Mr Peter Obi till now. It has paid salaries regularly, given the state an international airport, sports stadium and convention centre.
“We are not taking support for granted. Prof Chukwuma Soludo is performing excellently well. Anambra people voted for him because they believed in his mission to build a livable and prosperous Ànambra, so they should support him.”
Gobir, YPP guber candidate, steps down for AbdulRazaq
The governorship candidate of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) in Kwara State, Waziri Yakubu Gobir, said on Thursday he had stepped down for Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
Gobir told newsmen in Ilorin shortly after a brief meeting with the governor that his decision was in the interest of the state.
According to him, he had extensive deliberations with AbdulRazaq over the past few weeks on how to further move the state forward.
He said: “In the last leg of this election trail, it has become apparent that the best way to achieve the goal we have before us is to forge alliances and combine ideologies.
“To this end, the Young Progressives Party hereby adopts the incumbent Governor as candidate of YPP in the upcoming gubernatorial election.
“I assure you that this decision is not one that was made lightly.
“It was made after weeks of deliberation and a final concession that the incumbent Governor consider some of the policies outlined in my manifesto (the State of Kwara) alongside his equally well-intentioned 10-year Sustainable Development Plan (2021-2030).
No alliance with any political party, I’m not stepping down –Jandor
The PDP governorship candidate in Lagos State, Mr. Abdul-Azeez Adediran a.k.a. Jandor declared that his party had no official alliance with any political party and he was not stepping down for any candidate.
Adediran told reporters in Ikeja that he was the race to win and bring a breath of fresh air.
He urged residents to support his ambition, having presented himself against all odds to challenge the status quo in the state.
His words: “We are here stating that all the rumour that are out there purportedly being sold by some people in some quarters is nothing but false.
“Lagos PDP is not in alliance with any political party. As the candidate of the party, I have not stepped down for anybody, we are not stepping down for anybody, and we are not going to step down for anybody.
“There has not been any formal meeting between Lagos PDP and any political party as such to say that we are on a round-table discussing alliance,” he said.
Adediran claimed he had worked more than any other candidate to meet people in various communities across the 245 wards in the state.
“We have traversed everywhere in the state and we have been able to sell our candidacy which is a radical departure from the stereotyped norm to everybody in Lagos.
“What we need Lagos residents to do in this coming election is to take a critical look at all of us running for this office and make their choice in a free and fair election,” he said.
Adediran, however, noted that the party did not have any issue going into any alliance but only concerned about putting the best foot forward, which he said some leaders truncated.
PDP seals alliance with LP in Nasarawa
The PDP in Nasarawa State sealed a pact with Labour Party (LP) in the state which saw the LP governorship candidate Joseph Ewuga step down for Dr. David Ombugadu.
Former information minister Labaran Maku said in Abuja that the move was to “give us a real state and good governance.”
Enugu leaders of thought endorse Mbah
Leaders of thought from the three senatorial zones of Enugu reaffirmed their support for the PDP governorship candidate, Peter Mbah ,saying their decision was in tandem with the established power rotation principle that has seen power go seamlessly around the three zones.
They appealed to residents of Enugu to help the state to maintain the power rotation tradition in the interest of peace and development.
Ex-Senate president Ken Nnamani said the choice of Mr Mbah resonated with the power rotation principle, justice, and Enugu’s quest for credible and capable leaders.
Why I’m being persecuted, by Obaseki
Edo State Governor Godwin Obaseki has told youths in the state that the only reason some people are now against him is his refusal to throw open the public purse for looting.
Obaseki, who spoke against the background of the poor showing of his party in the presidential and National Assembly elections said he would not have had a problem “if we had come and said let us do it as they have been doing it.”
He added: “We would not have had a problem.
“Money comes every month, we share the money, there would not have been a problem. Nobody will attack me. But Edo will not make progress.”
Army ready for polls monitoring, says COAS
The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt-Gen. Faruk Yahaya vowed ahead of the elections that the military would provide a secure and safe atmosphere for the citizenry to exercise their civic responsibility of choosing their leaders during today’s elections.
He therefore directed formation and unit commanders of the Army to ensure that troops remain professional and apolitical during the polls.
He charged the troops to adhere strictly to the guidelines in the Code of Conduct for Operation Safe Conduct, as any contravention will attract dire consequences.
The army released an updated list of hotlines for monitoring and reporting of emergencies and acts capable of disrupting the coming elections.
It asked the public to call the phone following numbers in 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory Abuja to report any security breach during the elections.
ABIA STATE – 09029568595; 07067880707
ADAMAWA – 08022750987
AKWA IBOM STATE – 09070077175; 08163256562
ANAMBRA STATE – 08030881453
BAUCHI STATE – 08128063675
BAYELSA STATE – 08107855752; 08143247308
BENUE STATE – 08080754339
BORNO STATE – 09099616160; 08086987079
CROSS RIVER – 08037084192
DELTA STATE – 09044400064; 08144464947
EBONYI STATE – 08158274048
EDO STATE – 09066325953
EKITI STATE – 08037851448
ENUGU STATE – 09032102212, 08023097458
GOMBE STATE – 07063908779; 08082557782
IMO STATE – 08069587883; 08164120381
JIGAWA STATE – 07017791414; 08100144363
KADUNA STATE – 07031544227; 08028580978; 08035242633
KANO STATE – 08038432656
KASTINA STATE – 08108854061;09012998054
KEBBI STATE – 09130213661
KOGI STATE – 08033217964
KWARA STATE – 09060001270
LAGOS STATE – 07034769430; 09127604098
NASARAWA STATE – 09051009404
NIGER STATE – 07031346425
OGUN STATE – 09116589494; 08032466245
ONDO STATE – 08036130535
OSUN STATE – 09019683922
OYO STATE – 07047703000
PLATEAU STATE – 08037116395; 07031260622
RIVERS STATE – 08064274222
SOKOTO STATE – 07069084570; 07052693532; 08136913284
TARABA STATE – 08136728969;08060902363
YOBE STATE – 08061397656
ZAMFARA STATE – 08140075541
37. FCT – 09114913164; 08186690471; 08079153860; 0816430425509159793968
Police restrict vehicular movement from 12am-6pm
Police Inspector-General Usman Baba placed a restriction on vehicular movement from 12am to 6pm today across the 36 states.
The federal capital territory (FCT) is excluded from this directive as no election will take place in the area.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), observers, and other persons carrying out essential services are also excluded from the restriction.
The police said: “Sequel to the forthcoming Gubernatorial and State Houses of Assembly elections scheduled to hold on the 18th of March, 2023, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, CFR, has ordered the restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, from 12 am to 6 pm on election day in all states where elections will be conducted with the exception of those on essential services such as INEC Officials, Electoral Observers, Accredited Media and Observers, Ambulances responding to medical emergencies, firefighters, etc,” the statement reads.
“This directive excludes the Federal Capital Territory as no election is being conducted therein.
“Similarly, the IGP reiterates the ban on all security aides to VIPs and escorts from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election.
“State-established and owned security outfits/organizations, quasi-security units, and privately-owned guard and security outfits are also barred from participating in election security management.”
Vendors of food, alcohol, other consumables barred from polling units
The Police and other Heads of Security Agencies in Oyo State have barred vendors of food, alcohol and other consumables from operating around polling units during the Saturday’s election.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Adebowale Williams, made this known while briefing newsmen on the outcomes of the strategic security meeting of all Heads of Security Agencies and paramilitary organisations on Thursday in Ibadan.
Present at the meeting were the Heads of NSCDC, FRSC, Nigerian Army, Customs, NDLEA, DSS, Nigeria Correctional Service, among others.
He said the measure was to secure a safe and conducive environment for the electorate in the interest of Public Order and Safety, the extant ban on the following remains in force; VIP escorts, accompanying their principals to polling units.
He said: “Vendors of food, alcohol and other consumables shall not be allowed to operate around polling units/wards as no opportunity shall be created for points of negotiation to aid vote-buying.
“Going armed is a criminal offence and would be viewed seriously on. On election day, don’t be caught with as little as a knife being in your pocket.
“In addition, residents are advised against placing physical objects such as bricks, wooden materials or stones on streets and major roads under the guise of recreation as it might debar immediate intervention during times of distress.
Williams said that a total number of 15,000 personnel of all the security agencies in the state would be deployed for the Saturday elections, while every area would be adequately monitored.
