In order to ensure that the election is hitch-free, the national headquarters of the Independent National Elec-toral Commission (INEC) relocated its entire staff to Lokoja for effective monitoring.
Amidst increasing tensions across the state, there were unconfirmed reports that two people were killed by security operatives deployed to Ayangba, Kogi on Thursday night.

This it was learnt, led to face a off between indigenes of Ayangba and security operatives that led to the deployment of two armoured tanks to forestall the breakdown of law and order.

Supporters of the two leading candidates - former Governors Ibrahim Idris and Abubakar Audu - used most of yesterday for last minute house to house campaigning.

But surprisingly, virtually every part of the state was peaceful yesterday, a major departure from the violence that trailed the campaigns of the front runners in the election in the last two weeks.
While urging their supporters to go about the voting exercise peacefully today, both Audu and Idris expressed optimism about securing victory.

The directive to relocate the INEC staff was given by the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Maurice Iwu who ordered that any staff from the cadre of director that fails to move to Lokoja for the election should consider him/herself sacked.

Workers from the Abuja INEC headquarters were relocated to Lokoja in 42 luxury buses popularly known as El-Rufai Buses. All the buses arrived INEC’s office in Lokoja as early as 9 a.m. on Friday.
Also, all election materials have arrived their respective local governments and were waiting to be transported to the wards and polling centres.

Iwu was on hand directing the affairs of the commission at the Marine Road, Lokoja office of INEC.

During the election, directors of the commission will serve as election supervisors, while deputy and assistant directors will double as presiding and collation officers for the elections.
All the ballot papers for the elections are serially numbered for easy identification with specific marks for local governments, thereby making it difficult for the ballot papers to be transferred to alternate destinations.

INEC also posted three resident electoral commissioners (RECs) to the state for each to man the three senatorial zones.
INEC directed that no indigene of the state should serve in any capacity to avoid bias. The commission also threatened to cancel elections anywhere violence is recorded.

Security has been beefed up with police deploying over 3,000 from its rank and file to the state. Soldiers and plain cloths security agents were not left out in the massive security build up in the state.
Also yesterday, the Kogi State Police Command declared the governorship candidate for the Movement for the Restoration of Defence of Democracy (MRDD), Col. Suleiman Babanawa and two others wanted in connection with violent acts.

The MRDD Chief was alleged to have procured military uniforms for youths in the state.

Similarly, the former deputy chief of staff to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Prince Olushola Akamode was quizzed and later released.

But generally there is calm in the city of Lokoja, as armed soldiers were seen patrolling the major streets of Lokoja and other towns considered flash points.