487 candidates vying for 25 assembly seats in Kogi — INEC

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says that 487 candidates will contest elections for the 25 legislative seats in Kogi State House of Assembly on Saturday.

The Director of Voter Education and Publicity of INEC in Kogi, Mr Ahmed Biambo, made the fact known in Lokoja on Thursday.

He added that supplementary elections for Kogi East senatorial seat and three federal constituency seats would also hold in 129 polling units on Saturday.

Biambo told News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the candidates for the State House of Assembly election would be contesting on the platforms of 31 political parties that indicated interest to participate in the process.

He said the parties included Kowa Party, Social Democratic Party, Accord Party, Labour Party, Action Democratic Party and Action Alliance.

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Others are National Conscience Party, All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Advanced Peoples Democratic Alliance, United Peoples Party and Alliance for Democracy.

Biambo said that only the State House of Assembly election would hold in Kogi on Saturday while the governorship election would come up later in the year except in communities affected in the supplementary poll in Kogi East Senatorial Zone.

The director said that sensitive election materials were currently being dispatched to the 21 local government areas, adding that INEC had made solid arrangements for a free and fair election in all the 239 wards of the state.

Biambo admonished the candidates to play according to rule and eschew violence during the elections.

The Commission declared the National Assembly elections in Kogi East on Feb. 23 inconclusive following violence which occurred in some parts of the area during the election.