By-Elections: 4.6m Voters, 80 LGAs To Decide Politicians Fate in 26 States
- Nigeria's electoral body has released the voter statistics for Saturday's February 3 by-elections
- According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), 4.6 million voters will decide their preferred candidate
- The commission also revealed that elections will be held in 80 local government areas in 26 states
Legit.ng journalist Segun Adeyemi has over 9 years of experience covering political events, civil societies, courts, and metro
Today's by-elections in Nigeria will see the participation of 4,613,291 individuals who have obtained their Permanent Voters' Cards (PVCs).
The elections are being held to fill vacancies in the national and state assemblies caused by the death or resignation of members.
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The election appeal tribunals have mandated rerun elections in specific constituencies or polling units (PUs).
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Across 26 states, including nine where by-elections will determine two senators, four House of Representatives members, and three state Houses of Assembly members, voters are set to cast their ballots.
INEC statistics for by-election
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, stated that upcoming elections will address vacancies in three senatorial districts, 17 federal and 28 state constituencies across 80 local government areas.
This involves 575 registration areas/wards and 8,934 polling units, with 4,904,627 registered voters and 4,613,291 PVCs collected.
According to Daily Trust, 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.
Notable vacant seats include those of President Bola Tinubu’s Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila; Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi; Senator Ibrahim Geidam; Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, and Tanko Sununu, who resigned for appointments in the current administration.
Isma’ila Maihanchi, a member-elect from Taraba State, passed away before the National Assembly inauguration, and Abdulkadir Danbuga from Sokoto died in October 2023.
The INEC chairman confirmed the commission’s preparedness for the elections, stating that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) had delivered materials to the affected locations. Security forces have also finalised arrangements to guarantee smooth polls.
In addition to logistical preparations, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), which includes INEC, the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), and all security agencies, convened two weeks ago to devise strategies ensuring the safety of lives and property during the elections.
Ebonyi bye-election: Court disqualifies Atiku’s anointed PDP’s Silas Onu
The senatorial ambition of Silas Onu, the People's Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ebonyi South, has suffered a major setback.
The federal high court in Abakaliki has disqualified Onu from the senatorial race slated for Saturday, February 3.
Onu, on the other hand, has vowed to appeal the judgment, and he's been endorsed by former Vice President Atiku Abubakar.
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