The Independent National Electoral Commission 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 released on Friday at the Central Bank of Nigeria premises in Gombe in the presence of political party agents, security personnel, CBN officials, journalists and members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security.
The election is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026, with 495,851 registered voters expected to participate across the constituency. INEC’s official platform also lists the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye poll among the September 2026 bye-elections.
Speaking after the distribution exercise, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Gombe State, Alhaji Mukhtar Gajiram Umar, said the materials had been moved to the relevant local government areas for onward deployment to polling units.
He said the process was carried out in the presence of stakeholders as part of measures to promote transparency and strengthen confidence in the election.
“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,” Gajiram said.
He added that political party agents, security agencies and other members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security were present during the exercise.
The REC also explained that the endorsement and signatures placed on the sensitive materials formed part of INEC’s authentication process to ensure that only approved and 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 further urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to adhere to the Peace Accord signed at the Gombe State Police Command ahead of the poll.
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He called on all stakeholders to maintain peace and ensure that the election was conducted in an orderly manner.
“We expect everyone to maintain peace and ensure that the election is conducted in an orderly, peaceful and credible manner,” the REC said.
He stressed that maintaining a peaceful electoral environment was the responsibility of all stakeholders and not INEC alone.
“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 is scheduled to take place across the constituency on Saturday.
INEC’s official records identify Mukhtar Gajiram Umar as the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Gombe State.
