Nasarawa State Governor, Abdullahi Sule, has praised the conduct of the Nasarawa North Senatorial District bye-election, describing the exercise as one of the most orderly polls held in the state in recent years.

Sule spoke on Saturday after voting at Polling Unit 002, Gudi Motor Park, Gudi, in Akwanga Local Government Area, where he cast his ballot alongside his wives, Silifat Abdullahi-Sule and Farida Abdullahi-Sule.

The bye-election is taking place in Akwanga, Nasarawa Eggon and Wamba local government areas to fill the vacant Nasarawa North senatorial seat following the death of Senator Godiya Akwashiki after a prolonged illness.

The governor said the accreditation and voting process at his polling unit was completed within a few minutes, noting that the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, made the exercise faster and more convenient.

Sule said he was captured by the BVAS and voted within about three to five minutes, describing the process as the quickest voting experience he had witnessed.

He also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, for the early arrival of electoral personnel and materials, saying voting commenced promptly in his community.

The governor said turnout across the district was encouraging, although he acknowledged that some residents of farming communities may have gone to their farms early in the day.

Sule dismissed claims that the election should be viewed as a measure of political strength ahead of future contests, saying the bye-election provided residents of the district an opportunity to demonstrate their confidence in the All Progressives Congress, APC, and its leadership.

He expressed optimism that the outcome of the poll would reflect support for the APC.

The party’s candidate, Danladi Halilu Envulu-anza, also expressed confidence of victory, citing the turnout and what he described as the APC’s strong grassroots presence across the district.

Envulu-anza said his campaign team visited all 35 wards in the senatorial district and received encouraging responses from residents.

He said his record of service to people would work in his favour at the polls.

At Polling Unit P018 in Nasarawa Eggon Town, voting was reported to have proceeded peacefully after minor technical issues with the BVAS were resolved.

An APC chieftain, Isiaka Abdullahi, said the election officials were present and that the process was transparent and well coordinated.

He said the initial BVAS glitches did not significantly disrupt voting, adding that he and other voters were successfully accredited and allowed to cast their ballots.

Abdullahi also said voters remained at the polling unit to observe the process, describing the atmosphere as calm and orderly.