By Francesca Hangeior

The United States Mission in Nigeria has issued a comprehensive guide to assist American citizens residing in Nigeria in voting in the upcoming November 5, 2024 elections.

In a statement shared by the mission on its X handle on Monday, It outlined the steps U.S. citizens must take to ensure their votes are counted.

The statement reads, “Attention U.S. citizens residing in Nigeria! To vote in the November 2024 elections, U.S. citizens overseas must complete three steps:
“(1) Request a ballot. Visit http://FVAP.gov for instructions. (2) Receive and complete your ballot. (3) Return your ballot.

“You may drop off your completed ballot in a postage-paid envelope at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos, or you may mail it yourself.”
According to the guide, the voting process for Us citizens living in Nigeria involves three key steps:
1. Request a Ballot: U.S. citizens must first request their ballots by visiting the Federal Voting Assistance Program website at [FVAP.gov](http://FVAP.gov). The site provides detailed instructions on how to request a ballot and other resources for overseas voters.

2. Complete the Ballot: Once the ballot is received, voters should fill it out according to the provided instructions.
3. Return the Ballot: Completed ballots can be returned in two ways—either dropped off in a postage-paid envelope at the Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the U.S. Consulate General in Lagos or mailed directly by the voter.
The US Mission advised citizens to complete these steps promptly to avoid delays that could affect their ability to participate in the election.
The U.S. general elections, set for Tuesday, November 5, 2024, will feature the presidential race, congressional elections, and numerous state and local contests.

The presidential race is a key battle between former president Donald Trump and Kamala Harris.

Meanwhile, the first early voters began casting their ballots on Friday for the closely contested U.S. presidential election in November, as Democratic candidate Kamala Harris attended a campaign event focused on the controversial issue of abortion.

Early voting kicked off in three states—Virginia, Minnesota, and South Dakota—a practice that Republican nominee Donald Trump has previously criticized, following his false claims of victory in the 2020 election.

By Mario Deepromoter

Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau I Jibrin, has hailed the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State, describing it as a vote of confidence on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

Senator Barau, who is also the First Deputy Speaker of the ECOWAS Parliament, said that the people’s say remains the most potent force in any democracy.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Sunday declared Senator Monday Okpebholo of the APC as the winner of last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State after polling 291,667 votes against Asue Ighodalo, the candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) scored 247,274 votes to place second while the candidate of the Labour Party (LP) Olumide Akpata, garnered 22,763 votes to place third.

Senator Barau, in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ismail Mudashir, commended INEC for upholding the people’s will as expressed by their votes.

He also applauded the visionary leadership of the national chairman of the APC, Dr Abdullahi Ganduje, which, according to him, has given the party more cohesion and ultimately led to the party’s victory in the election.

“The victory of our great party, the All Progresives Congress in last Saturday’s governorship election in Edo State is well-deserved. I congratulate the governor-elect, Senator Monday Okpebholo and all our supporters for this victory. It is not just a victory for the APC but for our democracy and the people of Edo State.

“This victory is a further expression of the confidence of the people of the state in the exemplary leadership and performance of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu since his assumption of office in May last year.

” It is also a result of the visionary leadership of our national chairman, Dr Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, who has made the party more cohesive and paved the way for its victory in this election,” he said.

Senator Barau, while calling on the governor-elect to be magnanimous in victory, urged all those who contested the elections but lost to lend their support in moving Edo State forward.

“ I, therefore, implore my friend, the governor-elect, Senator Okpebholo, to be magnanimous in victory and equally call on all others who contested against him but lost to lend their hands of support in moving Edo State forward,” he said.

The ruling-All Progressives Congress (APC) in Imo has won Saturday’s elections for all the 305 councillorship and 27 chairmanship positions in the 27 local government areas of the state.

The Imo State Independent Electoral Commission (ISIEC) has declared the results of the elections at its collation centre located at its headquarters in Owerri on Sunday.

The ISIEC chairman, Charles Ejiogu, declared the results without announcing the figures polled by the parties that participated in the exercise.

He said that “all the details of the results will be made available accordingly”.

He said: “Out of the 19 registered political parties, 17 participated in the election, which took place in 305 electoral wards, 27 LGAs, and 4,758 polling units.

“I wish to announce to Imo people and the general public that after a peaceful, credible election, the All Progressives Congress emerged winner across board.”

The ISIEC boss thanked all the political parties and their candidates “for exhibiting decorum throughout the process”.

He also commended all the stakeholders, including security agencies, political actors and the media for their conduct and cooperation during the process.

He, however, urged all the aggrieved persons and parties “to channel their grievances accordingly, in line with the extant laws”.

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In a brief remark, thereafter, the Aboh Mbaise chairman-elect, Iheukwumere Alaribe, promised to be transparent, all-inclusive and pilot the affairs of the council with the fear of God.

Although peaceful, the elections were grossly marred by voter apathy and voting did not take place in almost all the local government areas.

It would be recalled that the Inter-Party Advisory Council in the state had, on Tuesday, September 17, declared its members resolve to boycott the exercise.

(NAN)