Alhaji Umar Ibrahim, Gombe State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), has received an award from Like-minds Support for Good Governance in Africa, an NGO, in recognition of his performance in the conduct of 2019 general elections in the state.
Mr Donatus Lawrence, Country Director of the organisation, said Ibrahim was nominated after a thorough research, observation and monitoring of his conduct during the elections, where it was discovered that his conduct was incomparable.
Lawrence said apart from his supervision of free, fair and credible elections in the state, his curriculum vitae (CV) in the public service was excellent and spoke volumes for emulation by other upcoming public servants.
Hajiya Aishatu Jubril, a member of All Progressives Congress (APC), and Chairman, House Committee on Electoral Matters and Political Party Affairs, representing Dukku /Nafada Federal Constituency, commended “Alhaji Umar Ibrahim for being fair during the conduct of a bye election which her party lost in Dukku State House of Assembly Constituency’’.
In his response, Ibrahim, who assumed office in the state in July 2017, said his first declaration and promise to the public was to ensure free, fair and transparent elections in Gombe State.
He attributed his success to all major stakeholders in the state, without who his vision would not have been achieved and thanked the organisation for finding him worthy.
Ibrahim said when he assumed office, his major challenge was Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) but as a result of collaboration with the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), rooms were created and centres were made mobile.
“We also did a lot of sensitisation and at the end, we came from being the least to one of the states in the forefront in terms of the CVR,’’ he said. ==== NAN
