Yobe State Association of the Deaf Elects New Executives

 

by Yusuf Mohammed Lawan, Gombe

7th January, 2025 

Damaturu, Yobe state - Nigeria. A brand new state executive committee to pilot the affairs of Yobe State Association of the Deaf (YOSAD) has been duly elected

The election which held on Saturday 4th  January 2025 at the premise of Bindigary Primary School, Damaturu, Yobe state has produced  a new crops of leaders under the chairmanship of Idris Dahiru who scored the highest votes casts to replace the immediate past chairman of  YOSAD Abubakar Mohammed who also contested for second mandate after the expiration of his first tenure in office

The election, Ability News Network reports commenced around  12:50pm immediately after the arrival and accreditation of eligible voters who thronged the venue of the election from  all the seventeen (17) local government areas of Yobe state with each LGA allocating five eligible voters (delegates) as enshrined in the YOSAD constitution. 

Voting  ends peacefully without any rancour around 3 :28pm, followed by the official counting of votes which end around 4:15, announcement of results as well as the presentation of certificate of return to the  newly elected Excos by the electoral empire and their swearing in office administered by the North East Association of the Deaf (NEAD)'s President Hon. Bashir Usman kellumi, at exactly 5;05pm. 

Three heads justled for the coveted   Chairmanship slot which  Idris Dahiru easily claimed after polling 75 votes to edge out his two rivals  the immediate past chairman of  YOSAD Abubakar Mohammed who came second with  6 votes ahead of Audu Kasim  who polled just 1 vote in the contest.

In the Vice Chairmanship slot Bangalu Alh Deri was voted Unopposed unlike the Secretary General position where a hot battle ensued between Abubakar Tijjani who narrowly emerged the Winner of the contest with 44 votes against his closest rival Mudansiru Lawan Salihu who smiled home with 39 votes 

While the assistant  Secretary's slot went squarely in favour of Usman Mustapha who equally voted unopposed three persons contested for the Public Relation Officer's position which saw Ali Alh Goni securing 31 votes to claim the slot ahead of the duo of Bamallah Saleh with 28 votes and Ibrahim Alhaji Garba 15 votes cast.

 For the Treasurer's category only four votes seperated the winner Mercy Garba and her closest challenger zannah Suleiman. Mercy Garba smiled home with  40 votes to defeat both Zannah Suleiman who secured  36 votes to come second and Aishatu Usman who came third with  paltring 2 votes to her credit. 

 The position of the Youth Leader was fiercely fought between Almustapha B. Yawudima and Basiru Adamu wich saw Almustapha winning the contest with a slight margin, having securing only two votes above his challenger to set the score at 38 to 36 votes respectively. Just as Aliya Yawudima  secured 64 votes to grab the  Organizing Secretary's slot against Alhassan Garba's 14 votes, Ibrahim Ishaku clinched the Chief Whip slot with 47 votes against Hussaini Musa's 27 votes. 

Elsewhere, in the Auditor's category, Zakariya Abdullahi polled 59 votes to defeat Kolo Abba Kajimaji who came  second with 17 votes. The Sport Director's position was clinched by Audu Garba after securing 44 votes to edge out Mohammed Abdullahi with 31 votes. Similarly Kachallah Fugu grabbed 30 votes to floor Ahmed Buba who managed to get 5 votes and clinch the Zone A Coordinator's slot. Moreover the YOSAD Zone B  coordinator's position goes to Abdullahi Yunusa who polled 10 votes given only 3 votes to his challenger Balarabe Magajin with  7 votes. 

Other YOSAD newly elected executive members who were voted unopposed during the contest were Zarah Usman who emerged the as the new Women Leader, Mohammed Mustapha, Financial Secretary and Saidu Bala, Zone C Coordinator respectively

The five-man Electoral Committee namely: Dahiru Adamu, chairman, Fatima Abubakar member, Salisu Gambo Jajimaji member, Abu Sumayyah member and  Lawan Mustapha - Secretary were praised for soiling their names in the sand of history by putting in their best efforts to organize the second ever election conducted by YOSAD, an election which is adjuged free, credible and fair election by the Election Observers comprising the representative of the Yobe state chapter of Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD), representative of the Yobe State Ministry of Youth, representative of the  Nigerian National Association of the Dea(NNAD), National Headquarters, Abuja,  ably represented by the President of North East Association of the Deaf (NEAD), Hon. Bashiru Usman kellumi, representatives  of the Nigerian police, Department of State Security( DSS) and Disability Desk Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps NSCDC