RismadarVoice Reporters
September 18, 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed sensitive electoral materials to the three local government areas ahead of Saturday’s by-election in the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency.
The materials were distributed on Friday at the Central Bank of Nigeria premises in Gombe in the presence of political party agents, security officials, members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, CBN representatives and journalists.
The election is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026, with 495,851 registered voters expected to participate across the constituency. The constituency comprises three local government areas, 31 Registration Areas and 903 polling units.
Speaking after the distribution exercise, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Gombe State, Umar Mukhtar Gajiram, said the sensitive materials had been delivered to the respective local government areas for onward deployment to polling units.
He said the exercise was conducted in the presence of stakeholders to promote transparency and confidence in the electoral process.
According to Gajiram, the signatures and endorsements placed on the materials formed part of INEC’s authentication process to confirm that only approved and certified materials were deployed for the election.
The REC appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to abide by the Peace Accord signed ahead of the election.
He stressed that maintaining peace was a collective responsibility and urged all political actors to honour their commitments throughout the voting and collation processes.
“We expect everyone to maintain peace and ensure that the election is conducted in an orderly, peaceful and credible manner,” Gajiram said.
INEC had earlier identified Gombe and Funakaye local government areas as high-risk locations ahead of the poll, while Kwami was placed under close security watch because of recent security concerns and its proximity to Borno State.
The commission has called for stronger intelligence gathering and coordination among security agencies, while also urging security personnel to remain professional and operate within the law.
