William Attah, Gombe
Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Inuwa Yahaya has called on the people of Gombe State to come out en-mass to vote candidates of their choice during the Saturday, December 19, 2020 Local Council polls as Government has mobilized security agents to protect voters.
Governor Inuwa Yahaya stated this in a live broadcast to the people of the State, Thursday afternoon, and also declared Friday, December 18, 2020 a work free day to enable people travel to their Local Government Areas for Saturday’s polls.
The Governor, who called on the various political parties and their agents participating in the election to conduct themselves and play the game according to its laid down rules and regulations, said the contest must not be taken as a do or die affair.
According to him, “As part of our responsibility to ensure peaceful elections, we have mobilized security agencies to ensure voters and election officials are accorded the necessary protection to vote in peace and tranquility.
“Our administration has zero tolerance for violence or any election-related crimes. I therefore call on all stakeholders to desist from any act that will endanger the lives and property of our people. No political ambition is worth the blood of any Gombe citizen and my administration will deal decisively with any troublemaker no matter how highly placed”, the Governor warned.
Governor Inuwa also called on every side to respect and accept the will of the people and move on at the end of the election process, adding that, “On our part, we have provided the enabling environment for free and fair participation in the electoral process to all political parties, in line with laid down constitutional provisions”.
While expressing confidence in the ability of the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC) to conduct the election with a remarkable degree of professionalism, fairness, equity and justice, Governor Inuwa said, Government appointed capable and honourable individuals to run the commission.
In his words, “In line with the provisions of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), we constituted the State Independent Electoral Commission for the purpose of conducting Local Government Elections in the State.
“Accordingly, we appointed capable and honorable individuals to run the commission. At the same time, we provided the Commission with necessary financial and institutional support in order to conduct a successful Local Government election”, he stressed.
The Governor equally warned that with the resurgence of Covid-19 infections across the country, “We are closely monitoring the situation as it unfolds. I therefore urge voters, election officials and the general public to comply with the relevant Covid-19 protocols during and after the elections”.
There are 11 Local Government Areas and 114 electoral wards in Gombe State where elections are expected to take place with the main opposition PDP and several other political parties also expected to participate.
