The electorates in Bayelsa and Kogi States will today elect new governors to run the affairs of their states for the next four year.
In Kogi, the incumbent governor, Yahaya Bello is seeking re-election for a second term while in Bayelsa, the race is between fresh contenders as Gov. Seriake Dickson is rounding off his second term.
Also in Kogi, a rerun election will hold in Kogi West Senatorial District. The contest is between Senators Dino Melaye and Smart Adeyemi.
Melaye, who was returned as winner in the Feb. 23 National Assembly election had his victory upturned by the Court of Appeal following a suit by Adeyemi claiming substantial irregularities during the election.
Meanwhile, as the electorates prepare to go to cast their votes in the states, the Inspector General of Police has ordered the withdrawal of all security aides attached to governors, their deputies, public office holders, politicians and other personalities involved in the elections.
The order which affects the Kogi state governor Bello, his Bayelsa counterpart, Dickson, among others, took effect from Friday.
Deputy Inspector General, DIG, of Police in charge of operations at the Force Headquarters, DIG Abdulmajid Ali, made this known in Lokoja on Friday.
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According to him, the security aides would remain withdrawn from the affected politicians and public office holders until after the elections.
He assured that the police high command had made adequate security arrangements to ensure safety of all participants in the elections.
Ali restated that 66,241 police personnel were on ground in Bayelsa and Kogi to handle election security in the two states.
He warned those planning to perpetuate violence during the election that they would have the full force of the police and weight of the law to contend with.
“We are not unaware of the possible security threats that some misguided political actors and their followers may attempt to pose during the elections in both states.
“To such elements, we must sound a note of warning that as a nation, we have had enough of electoral violence. Hence, while the Nigeria Police shall strive to guarantee a peaceful and secure space for all political parties and the citizens to freely exercise their electoral rights, we shall not hesitate to identify, isolate and bring to deserved justice any person or group of persons that attempt to threaten the democratic order in Kogi and Bayelsa states,” the DIG said.
