All is now set for the Edo State gubernatorial election tomorrow. The off-cycle election will take place across all the local government areas. There are 17 political parties on the ballot.

The people of Edo State will decide on the ballot who will be Governor Godwin Obaseki’s successor.

The winner of the election replaces Obaseki in the Dennis Osadebe House on Nov. 11.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it is set for the election.

According to the electoral umpire, 2,249,780 registered voters, representing 85.57 percent of the 2,629,025 total registered voters have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across 4,519 polling units in the state’s 18 local government areas.

Out of the 17 candidates in the race, three are in focus: Asuerinme Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Olumide Akpata of the Labour Party.

Ighodalo is a 64-year-old economist, lawyer, and politician from Okaigben, Ewohimi, in Esan South East local government. He is former chairman of Sterling Bank. He served on the economic teams of both former Governor Adams Oshiomhole and the outgoing governor, Obaseki.

Okpebholo is a 54-year-old businessman and politician from the Udomi-Uwessan community in Irrua. He has a background in Business Administration and a Master’s in Policy and Leadership Studies.

Akpata is a 51-year-old lawyer from Edo South Senatorial District. As the first non-Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) in 28 years to be elected president of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Akpata offers an alternative to the APC and PDP political dominance.

One thing that has trailed preparations for the election is fear of security breaches.

Last week, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun announced the deployment of 35,000 police personnel to the state for the election.

However, major political parties and actors in the election have been engaging in inflammatory rhetoric, with the PDP refusing to sign the peace accord initiated by the National Peace Committee (NPC).

Yesterday, a civil society organisation called YIAGA Africa identified eight local government areas that could potentially become hotspots during the election.

The local government areas are Ikpoba/Okha, Oredo, Egor, Ovia South West, Ovia North East, Esan South East, Etsako West, and Etsako East.

The civil society warned of a high likelihood that politicians might resort to violence to manipulate the election.

Yesterday, Edo State Government declared today work-free to enable workers and electorate travel to their voting areas ahead of the election.

A statement by Joseph Eboigbe, Secretary to the Edo State Government (SSG), reassured that security measures had been provided to ensure a free, fair, and credible election.

By Tony Obiechina, Abuja

Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has emphasized that it is willing to encourage state owned enterprises to list on the Nigerian Exchange in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

Disclosing this in an interview in Abuja yesterday, the Director General of SEC, Dr.

Emomotimi Agama said listing their securities would lead to democratization of their operations, inclusiveness and wealth creation for Nigerians.

He said, “Inclusivity is very critical because in inclusivity, you have ownership. And so we all build our industries and the country together.

“For us at SEC, we would provide incentives that will encourage as much as possible, these state owned enterprises to list.

“You know that beside the incentives, one of the things that we at the SEC will continue to do is to educate those that are managing these institutions, to get them to understand that listing of those institutions does not remove power from them. It rather provides bigger power, because united we stand, divided we fall.”

Agama said the commission will continue to provide education, provide incentives and most importantly, make sure that time to market is reduced adding, “providing that certainty, getting them the assurance, knowing fully well that when you want to come to the market, when you decide to come to the market, you are able to follow a calendar, and that calendar is supported by the SEC.”

The DG disclosed that the SEC is also working towards inclusion via technology adding that the use of technology will make the capital market more attractive especially to the younger generation.

“That is why we encourage apps, we encourage FinTech tools, and that is why we supported the launch of the e-offering platform at the Nigerian exchange.

“And we encourage every other one who wants to participate and is qualified to participate in this process, to turn around the way people see investing.

“We want investors to have a beautiful experience. We want them to feel at ease, to make it so easy for them that each time they feel like investing, it brings happiness to them, and we will continue to do that through encouragement of technology, through education and everything that we need to do, incentivizing industries and making sure that bottlenecks are removed and the process of rejuvenating The Nigerian capital market,” he added.

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

Former Governor of Kogi State Yahaya Bello yesterday honoured the invitation of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

A statement from Bello’s Media Office signed by Michael Ohiare said that the decision was made after due consultations with his family, legal team and political allies.

The statement read, “The former governor, who has great respect for the rule of law and constituted authority, had all the while only sought the enforcement of his fundamental rights in order to ensure due process.

“The case has been before a competent court and Alhaji Yahaya Bello had been duly represented by his legal team at every hearing.

“It is important for the former governor to now honour the invitation of the EFCC to clear his name as he has nothing to hide and nothing to fear.

“The former governor believes firmly in the efforts of the administration of President Bola Tinubu to place Nigeria on the path of sustainable economic development and support the fight against corruption in the country.

“It is on record that he was the first Governor of Kogi State to put in place an anti-corruption mechanism to check graft and ensure that the resources of the state work for the people of the state.

“He was accompanied to the EFCC Headquarters by high profile Nigerians.

“It is our hope that the commission will be as professional as necessary and respect his fundamental rights as a citizen of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

“Details of his engagement with the operatives of the anti-graft agency will be disclosed later.”

However, EFCC denied that the former governor was in its custody.

The commission, in a statement by its spokesperson, Dele Oyewale said that Bello remained wanted with a subsisting warrant of arrest.

He said, “Media reports today that a former Governor of Kogi State, Mr. Yahaya Bello is in the holding facility of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC is incorrect.

“The commission wishes to state that Bello is not in its custody.

“Bello, already declared wanted by the commission for alleged N80.2 billion money laundering charges, remains wanted with a subsisting warrant for his arrest.”

Bello was declared wanted after the incumbent governor of Kogi State, Usman Ododo helped the embattled former governor to escape arrest in April.

Ododo’s arrival with heavy security at the residence of the ex-governor in Wuse, Abuja prevented the EFCC men from effecting his arrest.

Ododo’s entourage drove out with Bello in the governor’s car.

Since then, it was said have holed up in the Kogi State Government House, Lokoja.