The Independent National Electoral Commission has announced that it will conduct bye-elections and re-run elections in 26 states of the federation on Saturday, February 3, 2024.
The elections are to fill vacancies in the National and State Houses of Assembly, as well as to comply with court orders arising from the 2023 General Election.
According to a press release by the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the commission has approved the timetable and schedule of activities for the elections, which has been uploaded to its website and social media platforms.
The bye-elections will cover two senatorial districts, four federal constituencies, and three state constituencies, spanning nine states of the federation. These vacancies were declared by the presiding officers of the respective legislative chambers, following the resignation or demise of some members.
The re-run elections will cover 35 constituencies across 17 states, as directed by various election petition appeal tribunals. While three of these constituencies cover the entire area, others involve only a few polling units.
The elections are expected to commence by 8:00 am and end by 2:00 pm on Saturday.
The elections will fill vacancies in three senatorial districts, 17 Federal and 28 state constituencies spread across 80 local government areas, 575 registration areas/wards and 8,934 polling units involving 4,904,627 registered voters out of which 4,613,291 Permanent Voters’ Cards have been collected.
Some notable vacant seats to be filled are those of Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Sen. David Umahi, Sen. Ibrahim Geidam, Hon. Bumi Tunji-ojo, and Hon. Tanko Sununu who resigned to take up appointments as chief of staff to the president and ministers respectively. Then there is Hon. Isma’ila Maihanchi, a member-elect from Taraba who died before inauguration, and Hon. Abdulkadir Danbuga from Sokoto who died in October 2023.
The affected states include Ebonyi, Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Anambra, Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Jigawa, Katsina, Adamawa, Bauchi, Bayelsa, Kano, Nasarawa, Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, and Zamfara.
Find below the official timetable for the bye-election and re-run election:
