Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has secured a clean sweep of all 24 chairmanship seats and 240 councillorship positions contested in Saturday's local government elections in Gombe State, delivering a landslide victory that was, however, overshadowed by a widespread boycott by major opposition parties and sharp criticism from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) over the credibility of the electoral process.
The elections, conducted on Saturday, June 27, 2026, were held across the state's 11 Local Government Areas and 13 newly created Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), following the expansion of the electoral structure from 11 to 24 administrative councils. The expansion, approved by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, increased the number of chairmanship positions from 11 to 24 and councillorship seats from 114 to 240.
Announcing the results at the commission's headquarters in Gombe on Saturday, the Chairman of the Gombe State Independent Electoral Commission (GOSIEC), Abdullahi Garba Talasse, declared the APC winners in every local government and ward. The ruling party fielded candidates across all 24 councils, while several opposition parties, including the PDP, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), the Labour Party, the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), and the National Democratic Congress (NDC), conspicuously stayed away and did not field candidates.
Other political parties, such as the African Action Congress (AAC), Democratic Leadership Alliance (DLA), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Youth Party, and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), participated but fielded candidates only in a limited number of councils and wards. The GOSIEC chairman noted that this limited participation explained why some parties recorded zero votes in several areas.
The PDP, the main opposition party in Gombe State, strongly criticised the electoral process, alleging a pervasive lack of transparency and democratic standards that informed its decision to boycott the entire exercise. The party's Publicity Secretary, Abdulkadir Ahmed, stated that the decision was a direct response to what it described as a flawed and non-inclusive process orchestrated by GOSIEC. He argued that the party had not seen any significant change from the last local government polls, which it also deemed inconsistent, and therefore saw no need to participate in a process characterised by a lack of transparency.
The ADC Chairman, Hon. Keftin Amuga, echoed similar grievances, describing the election as "fraudulent" and alleging that his party was neither notified nor invited to participate by GOSIEC.
Despite the opposition's boycott, GOSIEC Chairman Abdullahi Garba Talasse described the electoral process as peaceful and commended the cooperation of voters, political parties, security agencies, and election officials. He noted that the commission had studied similar electoral models adopted in other states, including Lagos, before proposing the expansion, which was subsequently backed by the Gombe State House of Assembly.
Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, after casting his vote at Yahaya Umaru Polling Unit 010 in Jekadafari Ward, Gombe, described the exercise as peaceful, free, and fair. He expressed satisfaction with the large voter turnout, saying it reflected public confidence in the democratic process and his administration's commitment to strengthening grassroots governance.
Following the elections, the newly elected chairpersons were sworn in on Monday, June 29, 2026, at the banquet hall of the Gombe State Government House. Governor Yahaya challenged them to put up super performances that would serve as campaign items for the APC ahead of the 2027 general elections. "Let your performance become the strongest campaign for our party. Let the people see, feel, and experience the dividends of democracy in every ward, every district, and every community," the governor charged. He also presented vehicles to the councils during the ceremony.
With this outcome, the APC has retained control of all local government councils in Gombe State, reaffirming its dominance in local government administration following the 2026 council elections.
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