TEXT OF A STATE-WIDE BROADCAST BY H.E. MUHAMMADU INUWA YAHAYA (DAN MAJEN GOMBE), GOVERNOR OF GOMBE STATE, ON THE UPCOMING GOVERNORSHIP ELECTIONS, FRIDAY 17TH MARCH, 2023.
My dear citizens of Gombe State,
2. It is with a strong faith in God and a deep sense of responsibility that I address you today on the eve of an all-important governorship and state assembly elections slated for Saturday 18th March 2023. Tomorrow’s elections afford us the opportunity to elect leaders (from both executive and legislative arms) who will pilot the affairs of Gombe State in the next 4 years.
3. On the eve of the recently concluded presidential and national assembly elections, I addressed you on the need to respect our diverse political choices and ensure peaceful conduct of the elections. It is gratifying that you heeded to my call, enabling us to deliver one of the most peaceful and incident-free elections in the country. I want to congratulate and also commend you for your exemplary conduct during the previous elections.
4. The electoral process is the most important ingredient of our democratic system. It gives our people the opportunity to freely choose their leadership and enable peaceful transfer of power. I am a beneficiary of that system and I am committed to the strengthening our electoral process in a way that makes our elections safer, freer and more peaceful. I am therefore calling on all political parties, candidates, individuals and groups to join us in this noble commitment.
5. For us, the interest, wellbeing and stability of Gombe State is very paramount. It is above any personal ambition or partisan consideration. I have always stated that my ambition is not worth the blood or wellbeing of any citizen of Gombe State. Yesterday, I was at the inter-party peace parley to restate our commitment to ensuring the peaceful conduct of the governorship and state assembly elections because I believe we owe it a duty to our state to leave a legacy of peace, development and progress. I am therefore appealing to all politicians and groups to desist from any acts or utterances capable of jeopardizing the peace and stability of our dear State.
6. I would like to commend them for their hard-work and professionalism during the previous election. They have given us the assurances to deploy every available legal means to ensure our people are able to vote in an atmosphere of peace, tranquility and non-interference. I assure them of our continuous support and cooperation in the discharge of their constitutional responsibilities.
7. I would like to commend the Independent National Electoral Commission for the success of the presidential and national assembly elections. It is heartwarming to see the Commission working very hard to identify and rectify lapses during the previous election in order to make the governorship and state assembly elections better. There’s no perfect democracy anywhere, but I am optimistic that through gradual improvement such as this, we can take our democracy to greater heights.
8. As I emphasized in my previous address, the media, civil society, religious and traditional groups all have an important role to play before, during and after the elections. I call on them to remain patriotic in their conduct, constructive in their criticism, and professional in their approach. I am calling on the media to do more to eliminate the scourge of fake news and disinformation being peddled by some political opportunists. I am also calling on our traditional and religious leaders to enhance vigilance and intensify prayers for successful and hitch-free elections in Gombe State and Nigeria at large.
9. On a final note, I want to once again commend our people for the excellent conduct during the last elections. I call on them people to continue on the path of peace, tolerance and mutual respect. Election is not a do-or-die affair, and electoral contest should not be the basis for political bitterness, ill-will and violence. Although our political choices and affiliations may differ, we are bonded by common destiny as citizens of Gombe State. In the end, it is the Almighty Allah that gives and takes power, to whoever he wills and whenever he wills.
10. With these few remarks, I wish us all successful, free, fair and credible elections. Thank you for listening and God bless you all!
God Bless Gombe State!
God Bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!!
