The governor of Adamawa State, Ahamadu Umaru Fintiri, participated in the ongoing Local Government Council elections by casting his vote at 12 pm on Saturday at Unit 001 Kirchinga Ward in Madagali Local Government Area.
This election follows a landmark judgment by the Supreme Court of Nigeria, which granted financial autonomy to 774 Local Government Areas and barred the 36 state governors and the FCT minister from removing elected chairmen from office.
The Adamawa State Independent Electoral Commission (ADSIEC) is overseeing elections for the chairmanship of 21 Local Government Councils and 226 Ward councilor seats.
In a notable move towards gender balance, the election is expected to result in 21 male council chairmen and 21 female vice chairmen, regardless of party affiliations. This is due to all chairmanship candidates nominating female running mates as part of the stateās gender mainstreaming initiative.
Governor Fintiri emphasized, “This government belongs to women and youth as future leaders, hence our administration’s priority on them. Hopefully, by 2027, when my administration ends, a new breed of youthful and energetic leaders will take over.”
Voters interviewed by journalists expressed confidence in the election, describing it as credible so far, though acknowledging uncertainty about the subsequent process.
SaharaReporters noted that the voting began late due to the delayed arrival of materials and electoral officials at various polling units.