Residents of Gombe metropolis have commended the peaceful conduct of the ongoing Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency by-election, describing the exercise as orderly and largely hitch-free.

The voters also praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for its preparations for the poll, while commending security personnel and election officials for maintaining a calm atmosphere across polling units.

The residents spoke in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Gombe on Saturday.

One of the voters, Buhari Ibrahim, who is a person living with disability, said the professionalism displayed by electoral and security officials contributed significantly to the peaceful conduct of the election.

Ibrahim described the voting process as seamless, saying he did not experience discrimination or difficulty on account of his physical condition.

“I did not feel discriminated against at any point as a physically challenged person during the voting process,” he said.

Another voter, Dalhatu Boderi, also described the exercise as successful and hitch-free.

According to him, the atmosphere at his polling unit remained peaceful, while voters were able to participate in the process without disruption.

“The atmosphere is peaceful, the turnout in this polling unit is impressive and everything is going on well as expected,” Boderi said.

He also commended youths in the area for conducting themselves peacefully, expressing optimism that the same level of calm would be witnessed during the 2027 general elections.

At the Yakub Hassan Polling Unit, another voter, Maryam Salisu, said the peaceful atmosphere encouraged her to participate in the election.

Salisu commended INEC and security personnel for their roles in maintaining order, urging the electoral body and security agencies to sustain the arrangements during future elections.

She also called for the replication of the experience during the 2027 general elections, saying a peaceful electoral environment could encourage more women to participate in the democratic process.

Similarly, Zaliha Garba said women were increasingly recognising their role in elections and were becoming more involved in exercising their franchise.

“We realised that women are critical stakeholders in determining who rules us, so we are now embracing the process,” she said.

INEC Raises Concern Over Low Turnout
Despite the positive assessment by voters in some polling units, the INEC National Commissioner in charge of the North-East, Rear Admiral Jamila Mailafa (retd.), expressed concern over the low turnout recorded in several locations.

Mailafa, who was observing the election in Bauchi and Gombe States, said the electoral process had generally been seamless and peaceful but noted that the number of voters at several polling units was low.

“The election process is seamless, the environment is peaceful, people are out in some places but from my observation, there is a low turnout of voters,” she said.

According to her, voting commenced at 8:30 a.m., but only a small number of voters were present at most of the polling units she visited.

“Voting starts at 8.30 am, but voters were just few in most of the polling units I visited.

“Here I can see a lot of voters, probably they are just coming out. I think they are just taking their time,” Mailafa added.

The national commissioner, however, said there were no major operational problems with the electoral process, noting that both electoral officers and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were functioning as expected.

The Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency by-election is being conducted to fill the vacant seat in the House of Representatives.

As voting continues, attention remains focused on voter participation, the performance of electoral officials and the security situation across the constituency, with residents and observers expected to monitor the process through the conclusion of voting and subsequent collation of results.

Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has appointed a former member of the House of Representatives and chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party, Mashood Mustapha, as the Ameerul Hajj for the state’s 2027 Muslim pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia.

Mustapha, the Wakili of the Ilorin Emirate, is expected to lead and coordinate Kwara’s delegation for the pilgrimage and work with relevant government agencies and statutory bodies involved in organising and administering the annual Hajj exercise.

The appointment was announced in a statement issued on Thursday by the governor’s Deputy Chief Press Secretary, Mashood Agboola, in Ilorin.

According to the statement, the appointment is part of the state government’s preparations for the 2027 Hajj exercise.

“The Ameerul Hajj will coordinate the state’s 2027 Hajj exercise along with other statutory bodies at various levels of government,” the statement said.

The state government described Mustapha as a seasoned entrepreneur, public servant and community leader. He is also the Chairman of Crystal Group of Companies.

The government noted that Mustapha had previously served as a member of the Kwara State Executive Council before his election to the National Assembly.

He represented the Ilorin West/Asa Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 2011 and 2015.

Beyond his political career, Mustapha, popularly known as MM, has remained active in business and community leadership.

His appointment also comes against the backdrop of his involvement in Kwara politics.

Mustapha is a chieftain of the PDP and had sought the party’s ticket to contest the Kwara Central Senatorial District seat in the 2027 general election.

However, following the emergence of the incumbent Senator, Saliu Mustapha, as the PDP candidate, Mustapha accepted the outcome and pledged his support for the senator.

The state government said his experience in public service, business and community leadership would be relevant to his new responsibility as Ameerul Hajj.

In the role, Mustapha is expected to coordinate with the various statutory institutions responsible for the pilgrimage and facilitate the smooth administration of the state’s participation in the 2027 Hajj.

Mustapha’s educational background includes studies at Kwara State Polytechnic, Lagos State University and Rome Business School in Italy.

A chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and federal lawmaker, Abdulmumin Jibrin, has described the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, as an asset to the ruling party, urging APC leaders to refrain from publicly embarrassing him over his continued membership of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

Jibrin made the remarks on Wednesday night while appearing on Channels Television’s Politics Today, where he defended Wike amid criticisms from some APC governors over his political affiliation and support for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s second-term bid.

The Kano lawmaker argued that Wike’s contributions to the emergence of the Tinubu administration and the APC’s political fortunes should be recognised, rather than subjected to public criticism.

“There is no APC member in Nigeria today that has not directly or indirectly benefited from the efforts of Wike, so long as delivering the President, also managing the government, also performing his work, there is nobody,” Jibrin said.

He added that Wike remained an important figure in the administration and should not be publicly attacked by members of the ruling party.

“Wike is an asset to the APC. I don’t think Wike should be embarrassed at this moment with public statements,” he said.

According to Jibrin, Wike had made significant political sacrifices in support of Tinubu and the APC despite remaining a member of the opposition PDP.

“Wike is an asset to APC; he has sacrificed so much for the President and the APC,” he added.

‘I’m Not Holding Brief for Wike’
Jibrin said his intervention was not motivated by a personal relationship with the FCT minister, explaining that he had only met Wike twice by accident.

He said his concern was primarily about protecting what he described as the stability of the political efforts aimed at securing Tinubu’s second-term bid.

“As I talk to you, before only God I worship, I don’t know Wike, but he knows me from afar, and I know him from afar, if I see him I know he is Wike, and if he sees me he will know I’m Honourable Jibrin, I have met him just twice accidentally, so I’m not holding any brief for Wike,” he explained.

Jibrin added that he considered it necessary to speak whenever political disagreements could affect the broader coalition supporting the President.

He also cited Wike’s political activities in Rivers State and the FCT as evidence of his contribution to the APC-led administration.

Wike ‘Handed Over Rivers to APC’
The former Chairman of the House Committee on Appropriation said Wike had played a role in the political realignment that strengthened the APC in Rivers State.

“I believe that Wike has sacrificed; he handed over Rivers to APC, Wike had candidates [in the] FCT election but asked them to step down for APC. Wike came into this government as [part of the] government of national unity. In reality, we should be fair to him; he has done far more than that,” Jibrin said.

He further argued that Wike’s continued membership of the PDP should not automatically disqualify him from supporting Tinubu, noting that politicians from other parties were also involved in the broader political coalition backing the President.

According to him, some politicians outside the APC had also expressed concern about the criticism directed at Wike.

“There are people who are in other parties, who are working with us in the NDC, in the ADC. Some of them called me yesterday, saying, ‘Look at what they are saying about Wike,’” he stated.

Jibrin Urges APC Governors to Engage Wike Privately
Jibrin also appealed to APC governors who have disagreements with Wike to resolve their differences through private discussions instead of public criticism.

“For the governors, they should take Wike as part of them,” he said.

He referred to Wike and Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke as political figures whose activities, in his view, were contributing to the broader coalition supporting Tinubu.

“You call Wike the number 32 governor and Adeleke the number 33 governor of the APC; if there is a problem at the state level, the entire coalition that he is doing is for the President,” Jibrin said.

He maintained that where state-level political disagreements arise, the affected parties should engage Wike directly rather than make public statements against him.

“If anybody at the subnational level feels it may work against him or his interest, they should discuss with Wike, but I do not think Wike should be embarrassed by statements,” he added.

Criticism Amid 2027 Political Realignment
Jibrin’s comments come amid criticism from some APC governors over Wike’s continued membership of the PDP while openly supporting Tinubu’s bid for a second term in 2027.

Among those who have publicly questioned the arrangement are Kwara State Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq and Imo State Governor Hope Uzodimma.

Wike has been associated with the “Rainbow Coalition”, a political alignment involving politicians across party lines that has expressed support for Tinubu’s 2027 re-election.

Jibrin, however, maintained that Wike’s political support for the President had contributed to electoral gains for the ruling party.

He pointed to the outcome of the recently concluded FCT Area Council elections, where the APC won five of the six councils, as part of the political gains he associated with the broader coalition.

The debate over Wike’s political affiliation and his role in the APC-led administration is expected to remain part of the wider political realignment ahead of the 2027 general elections.