Bye-elections: INEC directs political parties to pick ‘only fresh candidates’

News Update

THE Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has pleaded with political parties to start fielding fresh candidates for bye-elections into state and federal legislative positions.

The Commission noted that over the last one and a half years since the inauguration of the current national and state assemblies in June 2023, vacancies have occurred in 23 constituencies of serving members.

Chairman of INEC, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke during the year’s first quarterly meeting with political parties, said the Commission conducted nine bye-elections early last year and 14 vacancies have occurred since then.

He said such elections “are unpredictable and unbudgeted and difficult to plan in advance”, adding that some of the bye-elections lead to more bye-elections.

According to Yakubu, there were situations where the bye-elections in one senatorial district was won by a member of the House of Representatives from the same district, thereby creating 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 further said that over the last nine years, since 2016, INEC under his watch has been advocating for a more cost effective alternative for filling vacancies, as in the case of many other jurisdictions around the world.

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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