With exactly one month to the Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi governorship elections slated for November 11, the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), yesterday, declared that 5,409,438 voters will participate in the exercise. 
   
The commission disclosed that 16 political parties were sponsoring candidates in Bayelsa State, 17 in Imo State and all the 18 parties are contesting the Kogi State governorship election. 
  
National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Sam Olumekun, stated this after a meeting to review preparations for the off-cycle governorship elections in these states in Abuja. 
  
Olumekun said: “For the forthcoming elections, there are 1,056 862 registered voters in Bayelsa State; 2,419,922 in Imo State; and 1,932,654 in Kogi State, making a total of 5,409,438 registered voters for the three states.” 
  
INEC had, in June, released the final list of candidates participating in the off-cycle elections. Among those listed as candidates were the incumbent governors of Imo and Bayelsa states, Governor Uzodimma of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Governor Douye Diri of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). 
   
Also on the list were a former Minister of State for Petroleum Resources and former Bayelsa State Governor, Timipre Sylva, who is the APC candidate in the state, a former Senator, Dino Melaye, who is the governorship candidate of the PDP in Kogi State, Usman Ododo, APC candidate and Murtala Yakubu of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) also in Kogi.