Election: How Do Nigerians Vote for Their State Governors?
- Voting gives one the power to create positive change for one’s community and at times, determine a better quality of life
- In Nigeria, governors are the No.1 citizens of the respective states and are voted into power by the electorate, just like every other elective office seeker
- There is a process before a governor attains his or her seat, for this reason, TheTalk.NG explains how Nigerians vote for their state governors
TheTalk.NG journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering politics and elections in Nigeria.
Benin City, Edo state – An off-cycle poll will be held in Edo state on Saturday, September 21, 2024.
The votes come 10 months after the Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi off-cycle elections won by the ruling parties.
Nigerians go to the polls in the country’s off-cycle election. Photo credit: Pius Utomi EkpeiSource: Getty Images
The off-schedule election will be conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo, a state in the south-south geopolitical zone of the country.
In the present system, election is the means of choosing representatives in Nigeria.
Voting in the colossal African country started in 1959 with different political parties. It is a method of choosing leaders where the citizens have franchise rights.
Nigeria, which has 36 states plus the federal capital territory (FCT), operates a multi-party system. Presently there are about three strong parties: the All Progressives Congress (APC), the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and the Labour Party (LP).
How do you become a state governor in Nigeria?
Chapter six of the 1999 constitution of Nigeria as amended sets the requirements to hold the office of governor.
Per the rules, a governor must:
- be a natural-born citizen of Nigeria.
- be at least 35 years old.
- be a member of a registered political party and must be promoted by that political party.
- Must possess at least, the West Africa School Certificate (WAEC) or its equivalent.
Selection process of governor in Nigeria
Gubernatorial candidate’s eligibility
The governor is directly elected by the eligible voters through a registered political party to a four-year term and is one of only two elected state officers, the other being the deputy governor.
How is governorship election in Nigerian states?
The governor of a Nigerian state is elected using a modified two-round system.
To be elected in the first round, a candidate must receive the plurality of the vote and over 25% of the vote in at least two-thirds of state local government areas (LGAs).
How to vote
Citizens of Nigeria who are 18 years and above can vote within Nigerian territories.
TheTalk.NG reports that it is their (citizens’) civic responsibility to be involved in electing their country’s leaders.
Below is a simple procedure shared by INEC for intending voters to follow:
Although the above were shared during the general elections earlier in 2023, it is still useful and applicable to the coming off-cycle poll.
Read more on Edo governorship election 2024:
Edo election 2024: Cleric predicts winner
Earlier, TheTalk.NG reported that Prophet Joel Atuma of The Lord Grace Provinces, Umuahia, Abia state, said “the least expected candidate” in the 2024 Edo state governorship election would win the poll.
Speaking in a video posted on his official YouTube channel, Prophet Atuma projected that litigation will surface after the election, but the court will be unable to change the outcome of the poll. According to him, he saw “something like letter E” in the name of the next governor.
Source: TheTalk.NG
