Election Day: Nigerians march to polls to elect 29 governors, 991 state legislators

election voting INEC

Two weeks after the presidential and National Assembly elections, Nigerians return to the polls to elect their state governors, legislators, and councilors for the six Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Councils.

No less than 1,082 candidates are up for various positions. These include 29 States and 991 members of state Houses of Assembly as well as the six Chairmen and 62 Councilors for the Area Councils in the FCT.

Governorship elections will not hold in seven states – Edo, Kogi, Ondo, Ekiti, Anambra, Osun and Bayelsa – as they have already been conducted off season by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

No fewer than 1,063 candidates are contesting for the available 29 governorship seats.

These include 64 governorship candidates in Rivers, 44 in Plateau, Kaduna 38, Adamawa 29, Jigawa 18, Delta 50, Cross Rivers 26, Kebbi 31 and Ogun 41 candidates.

In Lagos State, 45 governorship candidates are vying for the governorship seat, while 640 candidates of various parties are eying the 40 seats in the state House of Assembly in the election.

In Sokoto State, 51 political parties are contesting for governorship and 462 state House of Assembly candidates are participating in the state election, among others.

Elections will hold at 119,973 polling units across the country, while collation of results will take place in 8,809 Registration Areas or Wards, 774 Local Government Areas, 36 States and the FCT.

Polling units are expected to open by 8 a.m. and close by 2 p.m. with the last person on the line allowed to vote.