The Yobe State Independent Electoral Commission (YSIEC) has begun screening candidates ahead of September 26 local government elections in the state.

The chairman of the commission, Ibrahim Yabani, disclosed this at a news conference on Tuesday in Damaturu.

Mr Yabani said the screening would run from September 1 to September 7, in accordance with the commission’s guidelines.

He said the commission’s preparations for the election were guided by the constitution and the relevant electoral laws governing elections and the electoral process in the country.

According to him, the commission declared on April 26, 2025, that elections would be held in the state’s 17 local government councils.

The chairman said the declaration complied with the law, which at the time required an election to be declared at least 300 days before the election date.

“Although the new electoral law has reduced the required number of days, the declaration had already been made by my predecessor. Therefore, we maintained the date and proceeded with preparations for the local government elections,” Mr Yabani said.

He said all activities relating to the elections had been clearly outlined in the commission’s guidelines and that the process was on track.

The chairman said that the commission did not initially embark on extensive publicity because of the tense political atmosphere in the country and the numerous political activities taking place simultaneously.

Mr Yabani said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had also scheduled party primaries between May 1 and May 31, making the political environment particularly demanding for politicians and other stakeholders.

He said the local government election was initially scheduled for June 6, 2026, but the commission realised that conducting the poll one week after the conclusion of party primaries would put considerable pressure on politicians, the media and other stakeholders.

The chairman said the state government subsequently approached the State House of Assembly, which amended the relevant law to allow the election to be shifted to September 26.

“This means that we are operating within the law and are not violating any legal provision. That was why it was possible to move the election date to September 26,” Mr Yabani said.

He said the commission would screen candidates for chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship positions across the state.

The chairman said the commission had divided the screening into teams, with separate teams responsible for councillorship candidates and those contesting chairmanship and vice-chairmanship positions.

According to him, the screening of councillorship candidates will take place at designated zonal centres across the three zones of the state.

Mr Yabani said the teams, each comprising six to seven members, were headed by commission members and supported by technocrats.

He said that he would lead the screening of chairmanship and vice-chairmanship candidates in Damaturu.

The chairman said Zone A, which included Damaturu, Tarmuwa, Bursari and other local government areas within the cluster, would conduct its screening at the designated zonal centre.

He added that Potiskum was the centre for Zone B, where councillorship candidates from local government areas within the cluster were expected to report for screening.

“Information reaching me this morning indicates that the screening has already commenced in Potiskum, with candidates from some local government areas already screened.

“This demonstrates how seriously we are taking the process to ensure that everything is conducted in accordance with the law,” Mr Yabani said.

The chairman further said the Zone C team had departed and would commence screening on Tuesday.

He said that because of the zone’s size, the screening would be conducted at two locations, including the zone headquarters and Nguru.

Mr Yabani said the exercise would therefore commence simultaneously across the three zones and would end on September 7.

He said the screening guidelines were clear and based on constitutional provisions specifying the qualifications required for candidates seeking elective positions.

“We have specific requirements for candidates seeking the position of chairman, as well as those seeking other positions.

“We will strictly follow the guidelines and the provisions of the law throughout the exercise,” the chairman said.  

(NAN)