Kogi Election: CTA to deploy 50 observers

The Centre for Transparency and Advocacy (CTA) has announced that they will deploy 50 election observers to monitor the conduct of the election across the 21 local government areas of the state.

During a stakeholders’ meeting in Lokoja, the Executive Director of CTA, Faith Nwadishi, disclosed this. The meeting involved security agents, the media, the Federal Road Safety Corps, road transport workers, and civil society organisations in preparation for the Kogi State governorship election scheduled for November 11, 2023.

Nwadishi stated that two observers would be assigned to each local government, and they would receive training in election observation, the Electoral Act of 2022, and adherence to INEC Electoral Guidelines.

Regarding the provision of adequate security, the Executive Director called for synergy between the police and other security agencies to instill confidence in the minds of voters before, during, and after the election.

“Security is a critical aspect of the electoral process that requires attention throughout the entire electoral process. INEC has recently raised concerns about the potential challenges posed by insecurity in the governorship election. Citizens, too, have expressed worries about insecurity in the state, and if left unchecked, it may discourage citizens from coming out to exercise their franchise on election day,” she stated.

While cautioning the electorate against selling their votes, the Executive Director urged all critical stakeholders to fulfil their roles to enable INEC to conduct a free, fair, and credible election in the state.

The Police Public Relations Officer, SP William Ayah, who represented the State Commissioner of Police, declared in his goodwill message that the Kogi State Police Command has made adequate preparations for the governorship election in the state.

Ayah disclosed that officers and men of the police force who would provide security on election day have been trained to enhance their capacity for the peaceful conduct of the election in Kogi.

Similarly, the Secretary of the Road Transport Workers Lokoja branch, Austin Omeiza, said the union was fully prepared to transport election materials to every corner of the state. He noted that INEC had inspected and certified the vehicles the union would use to convey the materials.

He appealed to the police to provide armed security personnel to escort the election materials to various locations to prevent a repeat of the previous election, where vehicles carrying materials were disrupted by hoodlums.

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