INEC announces date for national, state Assembly bye elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that bye-elections to fill vacant seats in the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Houses of Assembly across 12 states will be conducted on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this during a meeting with political party leaders held at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja. He revealed that the upcoming elections would involve about 3.5 million registered voters across various constituencies.

However, Yakubu clarified that no bye-election will be conducted in Khana II State Constituency in Rivers State due to the prevailing state of emergency in the area. Similarly, Talata Mafara South State Constituency in Zamfara State was excluded owing to an ongoing legal dispute regarding the declaration of the seat as vacant by the State Assembly.

Yakubu said, “In the last two years since the inauguration of the National and State Assemblies in June 2023, vacancies requiring bye-elections have occurred nationwide. You may recall that in February last year, the Commission conducted nine bye-elections to fill vacancies resulting from the death or resignation of members of the National and State Houses of Assembly.

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“Since then, more vacancies have been declared across the country. The outstanding bye-elections involve two Senatorial Districts ̶ Anambra South and Edo Central; five Federal Constituencies ̶ Ovia South West/Ovia South East in Edo State, Babura/Garki in Jigawa State, Chikun/Kajuru in Kaduna State, Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North in Ogun State and Ibadan North in Oyo State.

“Also, vacancies exist in nine State constituencies ̶ Ganye in Adamawa State, Onitsha North I in Anambra State, Dekina/Okura in Kogi State, Zaria Kewaye and Basawa in Kaduna State, Bagwai/Shanono in Kano State, Mariga in Niger State, Karim Lamido I in Taraba State and Kauran Namoda South in Zamfara State).

“Consequently, the Commission has fixed Saturday 16th August 2025 for bye-elections in 16 constituencies across 12 States of the country involving a total of 3,553,659 registered voters spread across 32 Local Government Areas, 356 Wards and 6,987 Polling Units.

“The Commission will deploy 30,451 officials. However, in spite of the declaration of vacancies, bye-elections will not hold in two State constituencies for the time being. These are Khana II State Constituency in Rivers State as a result of the current state of emergency and Talata Mafara South State Constituency in Zamfara State following a legal challenge to the declaration of the seat vacant by the State Assembly.

“Unlike the General Election or Off-cycle Governorship elections, there is a tight timeframe for the conduct of bye-elections. Party primaries will be held between 17th and 21st July 2025 while the online portal for submission of nomination forms will open at 9.00am on 22nd July and end at 6.00pm on 26th July 2025.

“Campaign in public will commence on 2nd August 2025 and end at midnight on 14th August 2025 i.e. 24 hours before Election Day. The hardcopies of the detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the bye-elections, including delimitation details of the 16 constituencies and their locations on the map of Nigeria are included in your folders for this meeting.

“The same information will be uploaded to our website and other platforms for public information shortly.

“In addition to the bye-elections, the Commission will also conduct the two outstanding Court-ordered re-run elections in Enugu South I State Constituency of Enugu State and the Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency in Kano State.

“These elections were severally disrupted by thuggery and violence. They will now be combined with the bye-elections upon assurances from the security agencies to adequately secure the process. The two elections will be held along with the bye-elections on Saturday 16th August 2025”.

More details to follow…