The Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar III, has said traditional rulers belong to no political party and will not allow personal interests to divide the communities under their care ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Abubakar stated this on Monday while receiving the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, at his palace in Gombe.
Amupitan visited the emir as part of INEC’s North-East zonal interactive meeting with electoral officials and stakeholders ahead of the 2027 elections.
The emir said traditional rulers had a responsibility to serve all their subjects, irrespective of political affiliation, religious beliefs or social backgrounds, making them important stakeholders in promoting peaceful political participation.
He said, “As royal rulers, we recognise that free and peaceful elections are essential to the stability, unity and progress of our country.
“Our task is to ensure that we are in a unique position in this regard. Royal fathers serve all our subjects irrespective of their political affiliation, religious beliefs or social backgrounds.
“We belong to no political party, and we have never allowed our personal considerations to divide the community entrusted to our care. This is a responsibility we take very seriously.”
Abubakar said traditional rulers could use their grassroots connections, moral authority and communication channels to encourage peaceful participation, discourage violence and promote respect for democratic institutions.
He assured INEC of the support of traditional institutions in Gombe State and the wider North-East in ensuring the successful conduct of the elections.
“I therefore wish to assure you that the royal institution of Gombe State and, indeed, the wider North-East stand in support of INEC in every appropriate and non-partisan way towards the successful conduct of the 2027 general elections,” he said.
The emir commended the commission for its efforts to promote peaceful elections, particularly the recent Osun State governorship election and the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency bye-election.
He expressed optimism that INEC would draw lessons from previous elections and its ongoing stakeholder consultations to deliver free, fair, credible and peaceful polls in 2027.
Earlier, Amupitan said the commission was engaging traditional rulers across the country to seek their blessings, prayers and support ahead of the elections.
He explained that the North-East was the fourth geopolitical zone visited by the commission as part of its electoral readiness assessment, following similar engagements in the South-West, North-West and South-East.
“We have visited other zones. We started with the South-West. From there, we moved to the North-West, and then to the South-East. Today, we are in the North-East,” he said.
The INEC chairman said traditional rulers had an important role to play in voter mobilisation and the promotion of peaceful elections.
“Your role cannot be underestimated, most especially in ensuring the success of the 2027 general election. I am delighted to lead my team here today to seek your blessings, prayers and support,” Amupitan told the emir.
He disclosed that the North-East had approximately 19.96 million registered voters, representing 13.51 per cent of Nigeria’s total registered voters.
Amupitan urged the emir to mobilise eligible voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards, stressing that the cards were required to exercise their voting rights.
“Collection of PVCs is currently ongoing. It is not a favour anybody is doing the electorate to come out and vote, but you cannot vote without your PVC. We want your royal highness to help INEC mobilise the electorate to go out and collect their PVCs so that they can exercise their voting rights,” he said.
The INEC chairman announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections would hold on January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections were scheduled for February 6, 2027.
He added that the commission had concluded the compilation of the voters’ register and was distributing PVCs, while preparations continued for the deployment of technology for voter accreditation and the uploading of election results.
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC had opened applications for the recruitment of ad hoc staff, urging qualified Nigerians, including residents of Gombe Emirate, to apply.
On security, he acknowledged the challenges posed by insecurity but said the commission was working with law enforcement agencies to ensure a peaceful electoral environment.
He urged the emir to appeal to political leaders to conduct peaceful campaigns and discourage actions capable of undermining the electoral process.
The INEC chairman also sought the support of traditional rulers in tackling misinformation and disinformation, warning that fake reports circulated on social media could cause panic, discourage voter participation and incite violence.
“People will start posting fake news, claiming that there is fighting or killing when it is not true most of the time. We are appealing to Your Royal Highness to help educate our people so that they will not be carried away by fake news and can verify information before it causes panic,” he said.
Amupitan reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to impartiality, assuring Nigerians that the commission would work towards delivering free, fair, inclusive and credible elections in 2027.
“INEC is committed, I can assure you, sir, and the good people of Gombe State that under my watch, INEC will remain absolutely impartial. We have no candidate of our own, but we will do everything possible to conduct a free, fair, inclusive and credible election come 2027,” he said.