By Editor Daily Fact

The All Progressives Congress (APC) has intensified its grassroots mobilisation efforts ahead of the 2027 general elections, with party stakeholders across the North-East pledging to deliver six million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima.

The pledge was made during a strategic stakeholders’ engagement organised by the North-East Zonal Directorate of the National Youth Mobilisation Directorate of the APC Presidential Campaign Council in Gombe State.

The meeting, held at the Gombe International Conference Centre, brought together youth leaders, party stakeholders, political mobilisers and APC supporters from across the six states of the North-East geopolitical zone to discuss strategies for strengthening the party’s grassroots structures and consolidating its political support ahead of the 2027 elections.

Speaking at the event, the North-East Zonal Director of the National Youth Mobilisation Directorate, Engr. Ibrahim Abba Umar, emphasised the strategic importance of young people in determining the party’s electoral success.

He described youths as a critical driving force in political mobilisation, urging them to demonstrate commitment, unity and dedication towards securing victory for the APC in the forthcoming general elections.

Engr. Umar called on party leaders and stakeholders to strengthen mobilisation at the grassroots, stressing the need to take the message of President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda to every ward, local government area and polling unit.

He noted that Gombe State occupies a strategic position in the APC’s political calculations in the North-East, making early engagement, effective coordination and sustained mobilisation essential to achieving the party’s electoral objectives.

Also speaking, the Secretary to the Yobe State Government, Dr. Muhammad Goje, alongside Sheikh Khalil Sheikh Dahiru of Bauchi and other prominent APC speakers from across the North-East, highlighted the importance of unity and collective commitment in achieving the party’s objectives.

The speakers urged party members, particularly the youth, to remain committed to the APC’s vision and intensify efforts towards strengthening its structures ahead of the elections.

Stakeholders at the gathering commended the Zonal Director for initiating the engagement, describing it as a timely intervention towards building stronger political networks and ensuring effective coordination among APC supporters across the region.

They expressed their readiness to work collectively towards the re-election of President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima in 2027.

The event was attended by APC members and supporters from across the North-East, who reaffirmed their commitment to the party and pledged to mobilise six million votes for the Tinubu-Shettima ticket in the 2027 general elections.

The engagement forms part of the APC’s early political mobilisation efforts aimed at strengthening its support base, particularly among young people, as political activities gather momentum ahead of the 2027 general elections.

By Our Political Reporter

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, has charged electoral officials to maintain strict neutrality, professionalism and integrity in the discharge of their duties ahead of the 2027 General Election.

Amupitan gave the charge in Gombe while leading a zonal readiness assessment meeting with electoral officials from the six states of the North-East geopolitical zone.

He stressed that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend largely on the preparedness, conduct and commitment of personnel responsible for implementing the Commission’s electoral plans at the grassroots.

The INEC Chairman warned staff against political pressure, financial inducement, intimidation and ethnic bias, urging them to remain impartial and ensure that all electoral activities were properly documented.

He also emphasised the need for electoral officials to familiarise themselves with the Electoral Act 2026, the Regulations and Guidelines for the Conduct of Elections 2026, as well as relevant operational manuals guiding the electoral process.

According to him, the Commission’s nationwide readiness assessment is aimed at evaluating operational preparedness, identifying challenges and addressing gaps that could affect the successful conduct of the forthcoming elections.

Amupitan explained that the exercise began in Lagos on September 7, 2026, covering the South-West, moved to Kaduna on September 28 for the North-West, and continued in Enugu on October 20 for the South-East before the Commission arrived in Gombe on October 26 for the North-East assessment.

He noted that direct engagement with electoral personnel was essential to understanding the challenges they faced and ensuring that preparations for the elections were based on realities at the field level.

“The true integrity of an election is not determined in the air-conditioned conference rooms of Abuja; it is forged in the field,” he said.

The INEC Chairman maintained that credible elections required not only effective planning at the national level but also adequately prepared personnel, functional facilities and efficient coordination of electoral activities across the country.

He disclosed that the North-East geopolitical zone has 13,965,475 registered voters, representing 13.51 per cent of Nigeria’s total registered voter population of more than 103 million.

Amupitan said the Commission was also concluding its data-cleaning exercise following the completion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.

On security, the INEC Chairman described the protection of voters, election officials and observers as fundamental to the credibility of the electoral process, particularly in areas facing security challenges.

He said the Commission would continue to collaborate with relevant security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to ensure adequate security arrangements before, during and after the elections.

Earlier in his welcome address, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Gombe State, Mukhtar Gajiram Umar, outlined the state’s electoral structure and ongoing preparations for the 2027 General Election.

Umar disclosed that Gombe State has three senatorial districts, six federal constituencies, 24 state constituencies, 114 registration areas and 2,988 polling units.

He put the state’s registered voter population at 1,768,566 following the recently concluded CVR exercise, subject to the completion of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) process.

The REC further revealed that recruitment of ad hoc election personnel had commenced following the activation of the INECPRES portal, while training programmes for different categories of electoral officials were also underway.

He added that the Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Voter Registration Department had begun preliminary technical checks on equipment and infrastructure required for the elections.

According to Umar, the exercise is intended to identify possible technical challenges, assess the condition of electoral equipment and ensure that the necessary ICT infrastructure is available and functional before election day.

Also speaking, the Director of Planning and Monitoring, Helen Ajayi, said the zonal assessment was designed to determine the level of preparedness across the North-East states and identify operational challenges that could undermine the successful conduct of the 2027 elections.

Ajayi explained that the engagement would also strengthen compliance with the Commission’s Code of Conduct and ensure that electoral personnel understood their responsibilities ahead of the polls.

During the meeting, directors and representatives of the Voter Education and Publicity, Voter Registry, ICT, Human Resources, and Election and Operations departments presented updates on their respective areas of responsibility.

The presentations highlighted ongoing preparations, operational requirements and expectations for staff as INEC intensifies efforts to ensure that electoral personnel and infrastructure are ready for the 2027 General Election.

The Gombe meeting forms part of the Commission’s broader nationwide assessment aimed at strengthening institutional preparedness, addressing operational weaknesses and promoting a credible, transparent and peaceful electoral process in 2027.

By Our Political Reporter

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, has called on traditional rulers in Gombe State and the wider North-East region to support efforts towards peaceful, free, fair and credible elections in 2027.

Professor Amupitan made the appeal during a courtesy visit to the Emir of Gombe, His Royal Highness, Dr. Abubakar Shehu Abubakar III, CFR, at his palace as part of his assessment visit to Gombe State to evaluate the commission’s preparedness for the forthcoming general election.

The INEC chairman urged the Emir to use his influence to encourage eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), participate in the electoral process and persuade political leaders to conduct peaceful campaigns ahead of the elections.

He explained that traditional institutions had an important role to play in promoting political tolerance, peaceful participation and public confidence in the electoral process.

Professor Amupitan also acknowledged the security challenges facing some parts of the country, disclosing that INEC was collaborating with security agencies, including the Nigeria Police Force, the Office of the National Security Adviser, service chiefs and other relevant organisations, to address potential threats to voters and electoral infrastructure.

In his response, the Emir of Gombe welcomed the INEC chairman and his delegation, describing the visit as timely as preparations for the 2027 general election gathered momentum.

The monarch acknowledged the enormous responsibility entrusted to INEC in safeguarding Nigeria’s democratic process, stressing that credible elections required adequate planning, professionalism, impartiality, transparency and cooperation from the public.

He assured the commission that traditional institutions in Gombe State and the wider North-East region were prepared to support efforts towards peaceful and credible elections without partisan involvement.

The Emir also pledged support for initiatives aimed at discouraging electoral violence, inflammatory political statements and misinformation, while encouraging citizens to participate peacefully in the democratic process.

Earlier, Professor Amupitan had called on INEC officials in Gombe State to intensify preparations for the 2027 general election, emphasising the need for professionalism, neutrality, transparency and effective logistical arrangements.

The chairman made the call while leading National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners from across the North-East and other senior officials of the commission on a readiness assessment visit to the state.

Addressing staff at the INEC state office in Gombe, he said the assessment was designed to evaluate existing facilities, identify operational gaps and ensure that the commission was adequately prepared for the elections.

He stated that the presidential and National Assembly elections were scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections would hold on February 6, 2027.

Professor Amupitan urged staff to demonstrate greater commitment, noting that the commission had limited time to complete preparations for the polls.

He said ongoing renovation works in Gombe and other local government areas were part of efforts to improve operational capacity and strengthen election logistics.

The INEC chairman charged electoral officers to discharge their statutory responsibilities in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the commission’s established guidelines and regulations.

He stressed that the commission must remain impartial and committed to delivering elections that would reflect the will of the electorate.

“We are not candidates of our own, but we will do everything possible to conduct a free, fair, inclusive and credible election come 2027,” he said.

On voter participation, Professor Amupitan described the collection of Permanent Voter Cards as a fundamental right of eligible voters rather than a favour, urging electoral officials to intensify public enlightenment and mobilisation campaigns, particularly at the grassroots.

He warned against any action or situation that could discourage eligible Nigerians from participating in the electoral process, stressing that adequate voter education remained essential to the success of the elections.

The chairman further disclosed that some non-sensitive election materials had already been received, while additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines had been ordered, with delivery expected within the week.

According to him, the commission was also making arrangements for suitable storage facilities for the equipment and had conducted a nationwide audit of existing BVAS machines following challenges experienced during the 2023 general election.

He reiterated that technology would remain central to voter accreditation and the transmission of election results, adding that the commission was taking steps to strengthen its operational processes ahead of the 2027 polls.

Professor Amupitan also directed staff to dedicate their time and resources to election preparations, urging them to work closely with Resident Electoral Commissioners, administrative secretaries, heads of departments and Electoral Officers to ensure smooth operations.

“This period, nobody goes on leave again. You should commit your time to support your REC, your administrative secretary, your heads of department and the EOs to ensure that the election is seamless and very successful,” he said.

As part of the assessment exercise, the INEC chairman and his delegation also visited the commission’s office in Gombe Local Government Area to assess its level of preparedness.

The team subsequently inspected the commission’s zonal store to evaluate its facilities, equipment storage arrangements and logistical readiness for the forthcoming elections.

The assessment visit forms part of INEC’s efforts to strengthen preparations across the country and ensure that electoral officials, facilities, technology and logistics are ready for the 2027 general election.