The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed sensitive electoral materials to the three local government areas ahead of Saturday’s by-election for the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency.
The materials were distributed on Friday at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) premises in Gombe in the presence of political party agents, members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, security personnel, CBN officials and journalists.
The by-election, scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026, is expected to involve 495,851 registered voters across the constituency.
Speaking to journalists after the exercise, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Gombe State, Alhaji Umar Muktar Gajiram, said the sensitive materials had been delivered to the relevant local government areas for onward deployment to polling units.
He said the exercise was conducted in the presence of key stakeholders to promote transparency and strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
“The sensitive materials have been distributed to the respective local government areas. From there, they will be deployed to the various polling units ahead of tomorrow’s election.
“We have ensured that the process is done in the presence of all the relevant stakeholders, including political party agents, security agencies and other members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security,” Gajiram said.
The REC explained that the endorsement and signatures on the sensitive materials were part of the authentication process designed to ensure that only duly certified materials were deployed for the election.
“The endorsement and signatures by the commission are part of the authentication process. They establish that these are the materials approved and certified by INEC for this election,” he said.
Gajiram also urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to abide by the Peace Accord signed at the Gombe State Police Command ahead of the poll.
“I want to appeal to all political parties, candidates and their supporters to abide by the Peace Accord they signed.
“We expect everyone to maintain peace and ensure that the election is conducted in an orderly, peaceful and credible manner,” he said.
The REC stressed that maintaining peace was a collective responsibility, expressing optimism that candidates and their supporters would honour their commitments under the accord.
“We hope that all the political parties and their candidates will respect the commitments they made under the Peace Accord. The responsibility for a peaceful election does not rest on INEC alone; it is a collective responsibility,” he added.
The by-election follows a vacancy in the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency and will be conducted across polling units in the constituency on Saturday.
