Residents of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states are casting their votes today to elect new governors.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reported that out of the 5,409,438 registered voters in the three states, 5,169,692 have collected their permanent voter cards.

Bayelsa State has 1,056,862 registered voters, with 1,017,613 collecting their PVCs, leaving 39,249 uncollected.

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In Imo State, out of 2,419,922 registered voters, 2,318,919 collected their PVCs, while 101,003 remain uncollected. Kogi State has 1,932,654 registered voters, with 1,833,160 PVCs collected and 99,494 still uncollected.

Incumbent governors Douye Diri (Bayelsa) and Hope Uzodimma (Imo) seek re-election, while Kogi has 18 contenders vying to succeed Governor Yahaya Bello.

Notable contenders in Imo include Samuel Anyanwu (PDP) and Athan Achonu (Labour Party). In Bayelsa, Timipre Sylva (APC) is considered a top contender.

While Uzodimma expresses confidence in his performance, opposition candidates in Imo criticize his first term. In Bayelsa, Governor Diri defends his record, while candidates like Sylva argue for a change.

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Kogi’s race features APC’s Usman Ododo, PDP’s Dino Melaye, SDP’s Muri Ajaka, and ADC’s Leke Abejide, among others.

Violence has marred the campaign, with incidents reported in all three states, prompting security assurances from the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu. Ribadu warns against violence and promises severe consequences for disruptors.