The Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC) on Saturday conducted local government elections across the state’s 114 wards and 2,988 polling units, with voters electing chairmen and councillors in what observers described as a peaceful, free, and orderly exercise.
The elections featured contests for the chairmanship of the state’s 11 LGAs as well as the 13 newly created local council development areas (LCDAs), bringing the total number of chairmanship positions to 24.
Simultaneously, voters elected 240 councillors to represent their respective wards.
Six political parties—the All Progressives Congress (APC), Youth Party (YP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), African Action Congress (AAC), and Democratic Liberation Alliance (DLA)—fielded candidates for the chairmanship elections.
Across polling units in the state, electoral officials commenced accreditation and voting early in the day as eligible voters turned out to exercise their civic responsibility.
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Ballot papers were distributed in an orderly manner, while election observers monitored proceedings and security personnel maintained a visible presence to ensure peace and public safety.
The exercise witnessed voter participation in several communities, reflecting growing public interest in grassroots governance and local administration.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya cast his vote at the Yahaya Umaru Polling Unit in Gombe, where he commended the peaceful conduct of the elections.
The governor expressed satisfaction with reports received from across the state, noting that there were no significant security challenges during the exercise.
He described the peaceful atmosphere as a testament to the maturity of the electorate and the commitment of stakeholders to democratic principles.
Governor Yahaya appealed to all political parties and candidates to accept the outcome of the elections in the spirit of sportsmanship, urging them to place the interest of democracy and the development of Gombe State above partisan considerations.
Similar reports of peaceful voting emerged from the state’s three senatorial districts, where both contestants and voters expressed confidence in the credibility of the electoral process.
Speaking after casting his vote, one of the voters, Ishaku Babayo, commended the orderly conduct of the polls and encouraged citizens to continue participating in democratic processes.
A chairmanship contestant, Bappah Garkuwa, also expressed optimism about the transparency of the election and urged voters to remain peaceful while awaiting the declaration of results.
Election observers under the umbrella of the Network of Civil Society Groups lauded the exercise, describing the voter turnout as encouraging.
Chairman of the group in Gombe State, Ibrahim Yusuf, said the large turnout demonstrated the people’s determination to strengthen democratic governance at the grassroots and improve service delivery through accountable local leadership.
As voting concluded across the state, attention shifted to the various collation centres where electoral officials commenced the process of compiling and announcing results.
The local government elections are expected to produce leaders who will oversee governance at the grassroots level and drive development initiatives in the state’s local councils over the next tenure.
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