GOMBE, NIGERIA — Gombe State Governor, Inuwa Yahaya, and other All Progressives Congress chieftains have expressed satisfaction with the peaceful and smooth conduct of the bye-election in the state, commending the electoral umpire and security agencies for ensuring a credible exercise.
The bye-election, held on Saturday across designated wards and polling units, was conducted to fill the vacant seat in the state House of Assembly following the death of the incumbent lawmaker representing Dukku North Constituency. The election witnessed a large turnout of voters who came out to exercise their civic rights in a peaceful atmosphere.
Governor Yahaya, who spoke to journalists shortly after casting his vote at his polling unit in Dukku, praised the Independent National Electoral Commission for the seamless conduct of the election. He noted that the process was transparent and orderly, and urged all parties to accept the outcome in good faith.
“I am impressed by the peaceful conduct of this bye-election. The turnout is encouraging, and the process has been smooth and orderly. I commend INEC and the security agencies for a job well done,” Yahaya stated.
The governor also commended the electorate for conducting themselves peacefully and for shunning violence and thuggery. He urged them to sustain the peace and to continue to support the APC’s development agenda for the state.
The APC chieftains who spoke at the venue of the election also expressed satisfaction with the process. The party’s candidate in the bye-election, who was widely expected to win, thanked the electorate for their support and promised to deliver on his campaign promises if declared the winner.
“The process has been free and fair. We are confident of victory because the people of Dukku North have spoken with one voice. We thank them for their support and their peaceful conduct,” the candidate said.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Gombe State, who monitored the exercise, said the commission had deployed adequate personnel and materials to ensure a smooth and credible election. He noted that the use of the Biometric Voter Accreditation System had helped to ensure the integrity of the process.
“The election has been conducted in line with the Electoral Act and our guidelines. The process has been smooth, and we are pleased with the conduct of the voters and the political parties,” the REC stated.
The bye-election was also monitored by civil society organisations and the media, who reported a largely peaceful exercise. The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room said its observers deployed across the constituency reported no major incidents of violence or electoral malpractice.
“The process has been largely peaceful and transparent. We commend INEC and the security agencies for their professionalism. We urge all parties to accept the outcome and to pursue any grievances through the appropriate legal channels,” the Situation Room said in a preliminary report.
With voting concluded, the collation of results is expected to commence immediately, and the winner is expected to be declared within the next few hours. For now, the people of Dukku North are awaiting the outcome of a bye-election that has been widely praised for its peaceful conduct.
