The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed February 26 for the conduct of by-elections in six constituencies across four states.
“This will enable the commission to clear most of the by-elections, focus on the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections and ongoing preparations for the 2023 general election,” the spokesperson for INEC, Festus Okoye, said on Friday evening in Abuja.
Mr Okoye said that issues that led to the vacancies and the rescheduling of some of the elections as well as the security situation in some of the states were discussed during weekly meetings.
He said that some of the vacancies arose as a result of the death of the previous occupants; substantial disruption of the electoral process and fulfillment of constitutional and legal requirements in the electoral process.
The vacancies according to him are Akure North/Akure South Federal Constituency, Ondo State; Jos North/Bassa Federal Constituency, Plateau and Pankshin South State Constituency, Plateau.
Others are Ogoja/Yala Federal Constituency, Cross River, Akpabuyo State Constituency, Cross River, and Ngor-Okpala State Constituency, Imo.
He said that INEC decided to combine the Ekiti East 1 State Constituency election with the governorship election in Ekiti, which would hold on June 18.
Mr Okoye also said that the commission was consulting with security agencies and the critical stakeholders relating to the vacancy in the Shinkafi State Constituency of Zamfara.
He added that the speaker of the Kaduna State House of Assembly had not declared a vacancy in relation to the Giwa State Constituency of Kaduna State.
The spokesperson noted that the official notification for the elections would be published on January 24.
“Political Parties shall conduct their primaries, including resolution of disputes arising from the primaries, between January 26 and February 5,” he said.
He added that the last day for submission of the list of nominated candidates is on February 9 at 06:00 p.m. and that must be done through the commission’s online nomination portal.