In Saturday’s local government council elections in Bauchi State, opposition parties secured several key councillorship seats, challenging the dominance of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under Governor Bala Mohammed.
One notable victory came in the Dass Local Government Area, where Samira Maikano of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) was elected as councillor for Wandi Ward. Maikano won with 1,610 votes, defeating her closest rival, Bashir Abdullahi of the PDP, who garnered 1,352 votes. The All Progressives Congress (APC) trailed with 230 votes.
In the Darazo Local Government Area, Yunusa Muhammed of the African Action Congress (AAC) claimed the Papa North Councillorship seat with 1,156 votes, surpassing PDP candidate Ashiru Muhammad, who received 1,053 votes. Idris Muhammad of the APC secured 290 votes. The results were announced by the respective Returning Officers at the ward level.
An unexpected outcome occurred in the Bogoro Local Government Area, where the Labour Party received the highest number of votes in Lusa Ward despite not fielding a candidate. Lucy Yusuf of the PDP, who was the second runner-up, was declared the winner with 2,168 votes, closely following the Labour Party’s 2,200 votes. The APC received 275 votes.
A total of 323 candidates from 10 political parties contested for councillor seats across the state. Results for the chairmanship elections are still pending and are expected to be announced by the Bauchi State Independent Electoral Commission.
Headline: President Tinubu Orders Reduction of Delegation to UN General Assembly to Cut Costs
In a move aimed at reducing the cost of governance, President Bola Tinubu has directed a significant reduction in the size of Nigeria’s official delegation to the upcoming United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) in New York.
Presidential spokesman Ajuri Ngelale announced the directive on Saturday, following a one-day retreat in Abuja organized by the State House management for heads of government agencies under its supervision. The Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, who disclosed the directive, emphasized the need for efficiency and adherence to presidential directives.
Gbajabiamila highlighted that the President is committed to addressing the concerns of Nigerians regarding the cost of governance. “Everyone is waiting to see if Nigeria, as in the past, will send the ‘largest delegation’ to UNGA,” he noted, stressing that the President has ordered a strict policy to ensure that only officials with business at the UNGA should attend.
The Chief of Staff also hinted at upcoming policy announcements aimed at ensuring more efficient service delivery in government operations. He urged heads of agencies to strictly comply with the President’s directive, underscoring that the administration is listening to the concerns of Nigerians and is determined to address them.
This directive is seen as part of President Tinubu’s broader agenda to streamline government functions and reduce unnecessary expenditures
