President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has congratulated the winners of Saturday's legislative by-elections in Gombe, Kano, Bauchi, and Delta states. The All Progressives Congress (APC) secured four of the five seats contested, while the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) won the remaining seat in the elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on September 19, 2026.
The by-elections were held in the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency and the Dawakin Kudu, Disina, Sakwa, and Udu State Constituencies. INEC's election portal listed the five contests, which saw APC candidates emerge victorious in four of the seats. The winners include Kallamu Usman MaiJama'a of Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency, Husseini Datti of Dawakin Kudu State Constituency, Okolosi Ator of Udu State Constituency, and Yakubu Ali of Disina State Constituency.
In a statement issued on Sunday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu congratulated the APC candidates on their victories. He also congratulated Adamu Yakubu of the APM, who won the Sakwa State Constituency seat in Bauchi State. The results reported after the polls showed MaiJama'a winning in Gombe with 41,121 votes, Datti taking Dawakin Kudu with 22,890 votes, Ator winning Udu with 8,724 votes, and Ali securing Disina with 5,846 votes.
Tinubu said the victories recorded by APC candidates demonstrated continued confidence in the party and its ability to govern and implement its programmes. He expressed encouragement by the support Nigerians at the grassroots continue to show for the party and its reforms. The President urged Nigerians to remain committed to the country's democratic process and not be swayed by political opportunism.
The President also urged the newly elected lawmakers to focus on their responsibilities and justify the confidence placed in them by their constituents. He called on the unsuccessful candidates to accept the election results in good faith and continue contributing to the democratic process. Tinubu commended voters and security agencies for maintaining peace and order during the elections.
Tinubu praised INEC for conducting the polls and urged the electoral commission to consolidate the progress recorded during the by-elections and address identified shortcomings ahead of future elections. According to INEC, the next major electoral exercises are the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, followed by the governorship and State House of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027.
The President's statement concluded with a call for continued support for the country's democratic process. The by-elections were a test of the country's electoral system, and the successful conduct of the polls is seen as a positive step towards the upcoming major elections. The President's congratulatory message to the winners and his urging of the new lawmakers to justify their mandates are seen as efforts to strengthen the country's democratic institutions.
Key points
- President Tinubu congratulates APC candidates on by-election wins in four states.
- The President urges new lawmakers to focus on their responsibilities and justify the confidence placed in them.
- INEC to conduct presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027.
