Governor Abdullahi Sule Applauds Seamless Nasarawa Senatorial By-Election

Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has hailed the recently concluded Nasarawa North Senatorial District bye-election as one of the most orderly and efficiently managed polls he has witnessed in recent memory. Governor Sule shared his observations on Saturday after casting his ballot at Polling Unit 002, Gudi Motor Park, located in Gudi, his hometown. He was accompanied by his wives, Silifat Abdullahi-Sule and Farida Abdullahi-Sule.

The by-election was organized across Nasarawa Eggon, Akwanga, and Wamba local government areas to fill the legislative seat left vacant by the passing of Senator Godiya Akwashiki, who died following a prolonged illness. The governor described the entire voting process, from accreditation to casting his vote, as exceptionally smooth, stating he completed the exercise in mere minutes.

“As a registered voter, I have just exercised my right by voting for my choice – that is what happened. But for me, this is the smoothest it has ever been as far as I am concerned,” Governor Sule remarked. He further elaborated, “From the moment I was captured by the BVAS to the point where I actually voted took just a total of 3 to 5 minutes. So, for me, historically, this is the fastest ever that I have seen.”

Sule also extended commendations to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he termed their effective logistical arrangements, noting that election materials arrived promptly and voting commenced without delay in his constituency. He acknowledged that while some residents in rural farming communities might have gone to their farms early, reports from across the senatorial district indicated a strong voter turnout in many areas.

The governor dismissed any notion that the bye-election should be viewed as a political litmus test for future polls. Instead, he framed it as an opportunity for the populace to reaffirm their trust in the current administration. “It is an opportunity for the people of Nasarawa State, starting from our by-election here in Nasarawa North, for the people to say thank you to the APC. And by the grace of God, we are going to see that ‘thank you’ result,” he declared.

Echoing the governor’s optimism, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for the election, Danladi Halilu Envulu-anza, expressed satisfaction with the voter turnout, describing it as encouraging, and the entire process as credible. He attributed the impressive participation to the APC’s robust presence within the district and voiced strong confidence in securing a victory. “I am going to emerge victorious by God’s grace. All my life, I have been rendering services to humanity, and that speaks volumes,” Envulu-anza stated. He also mentioned that his campaign had covered all 35 wards in the district, where he received positive feedback from constituents.

Meanwhile, at Polling Unit P018 in Nasarawa Eggon Town, voters participated peacefully. Election officials initially encountered minor glitches with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, but these issues were swiftly resolved. Isiaka Abdullahi, a prominent APC chieftain, lauded INEC’s performance, characterizing the process as transparent and orderly despite the initial technical hitches. ”So far, so good. INEC has done well. All the election officials are all over here. We are happy, things are in order. Our BVAS is working; before it had some little glitches, and then I was able to successfully cast my vote, and so many other voters around here,” he affirmed. Abdullahi also observed that voters remained at their polling units to monitor the collation process, describing the overall atmosphere as peaceful and well-managed. Similar reports of peaceful conduct and impressive voter turnout were noted in by-elections held in Rivers and Kebbi states.