BYE ELECTIONS: INEC Boss gives fresh directives to all political parties

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Political parties have been urged by the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, to begin putting up new candidates for state and federal parliamentary seats in bye-elections.

The Commission observed that 23 constituencies of serving members have experienced vacancies in the one and a half years since the present national and state assemblies were inaugurated in June 2023.

Speaking during the year’s first quarterly meeting with political parties, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu stated that the Commission held nine bye-elections early last year and that there have subsequently been fourteen vacancies.

He added that some bye-elections result in more bye-elections, saying that these elections “are unpredictable and unbudgeted and difficult to plan in advance.”

Yakubu claims that there have been instances where a member of the House of Representatives from the same district won the bye-elections in a senatorial seat, leaving another vacancy.

“In turn, a member of the State Assembly won the bye-election to the House of Representatives, thereby creating a vacancy in the State Assembly. Consequently, one bye-election led to three bye-elections,” he said.

He said bye-elections “also divert the Commission’s attention from its other extensive electoral responsibilities”.

Yakubu added that, similar to many other jurisdictions worldwide, INEC has been pushing for a more economical way to fill vacancies for the past nine years, starting with his administration in 2016.

He said the Commission has “similarly been appealing to stakeholders, including political parties, to join the advocacy for the National Assembly to amend the law accordingly”.

“Just three weeks ago, we canvassed this position once again during the defense of our 2025 budget before the joint committee of the Senate and House of Representatives at the National Assembly.

“We appeal to you as leaders of political parties to nominate fresh candidates for this bye-elections, instead of serving members, so that we don’t have to conduct several by elections.

“I want on this note to thank the leaders of political parties. Before we conducted the first set of elections in February last year, there were two vacancies in the Senate and four or five vacancies in the House of Representatives. I’m very happy to say that all the political parties responded positively.

“I wish that we’ll continue in this cooperative spirit, so that we’ll be conducting one bye-election for one constituency rather than three bye-elections for one constituency.”

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