Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced August 16,2025 date for bye-elections in 16 constituencies across 12 states The commission has also announced July 8 as date for commencement of continuous voter registration.
Chairman of INEC, Mahmood Yakubu made this known on Thursday during a consultative meeting with leaders of political parties at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
He said the bye-elections became necessary following the emergence of vacancies in both the national assembly and state houses of assembly, due to various reasons including death, resignation and legal disputes.
The elections will cover two senatorial districts, Anambra south and Edo central, and five federal constituencies: Ovia south-west/Ovia south-east in Edo state, Babura/Garki in Jigawa,Chikun/Kajuru in Kaduna, Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo north in Ogun, and Ibadan north in Oyo state.
Nine state constituencies will also go to the polls. They include Ganye (Adamawa), Onitsha north I (Anambra), Dekina/Okura (Kogi), Zaria Kewaye and Basawa (Kaduna), Bagwai/Shanono (Kano), Mariga (Niger), Karim Lamido I (Taraba), and Kauran Namoda south (Zamfara).
The elections will be conducted in 32 LGAs, 356 registration areas (wards), and 6,987 polling units, involving a total of 3,553,659 registered voters. Yakubu clarified that bye-elections would not be held in two constituencies — Khana II in Rivers state and Talata Mafara south in Zamfara — due to a security emergency in the former and ongoing legal proceedings in the latter.
“Unlike the general election or off-cycle governorship elections, there is a tight timeframe for the conduct of bye-elections,” Yakubu said.P
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, 24 hours before Election Day.“
Yakubu said the commission would also conduct two outstanding court-ordered re-run elections in Enugu south I state constituency (Enugu) and Ghari/Tsanyawa state constituency (Kano) on the same day.
The INEC chairman said in view of the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra, the continuous voter registration (CVR) in the state will commence in the 326 wards from July 8 to 17.
The commission also confirmed the nationwide resumption of CVR for new voters and those seeking to update their records.
“The online pre-registration will start on August 18 2025 while the in-person registration will follow on August 25, 2025.
“The exercise will be held simultaneously in all our 36 state and FCT offices as well as our 774 local government offices nationwide. Detailed schedule of activities will be released shortly,” he said .
Author: Maureen Ikpeama