INEC Distributes Sensitive Materials Ahead of Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye By-Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has distributed sensitive electoral materials to the three local government areas ahead of Saturday’s Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency by-election.

The materials were distributed on Friday at the Central Bank of Nigeria premises in Gombe in the presence of political party agents, security personnel, CBN officials, members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security and journalists.

The by-election is scheduled for Saturday, September 19, 2026, with 495,851 registered voters expected to participate across the federal constituency. INEC’s official platform lists the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye poll among the September 2026 bye-elections.

Speaking after the distribution exercise, the Resident Electoral Commissioner in Gombe State, 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 process was conducted openly in the presence of relevant stakeholders to promote transparency and strengthen 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,” Gajiram said.

The REC explained that the endorsements and signatures placed on the sensitive materials form part of the authentication process, ensuring that only materials approved and certified by INEC are deployed for the election.

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.

He called on all stakeholders to maintain peace and ensure that the election is conducted in an orderly manner, stressing that responsibility for a peaceful election rests on everyone involved.

“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 said.

The by-election follows a vacancy in the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency and will be conducted across the constituency’s polling units on Saturday.

INEC says its electoral officers are responsible for receiving materials from Resident Electoral Commissioners and distributing them onward for deployment to polling units.