NIGERIA: INEC Sets August 16 For National and State Assembly Bye-Elections Across 12 States

By Ameenat Hamzat, Lagos, Nigeria

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially announced Saturday, August 16, 2025, as the date for the conduct of bye-elections to fill vacant seats in the Senate, House of Representatives, and State Houses of Assembly across 12 states in Nigeria.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, revealed this during a meeting with political party leaders at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, the elections will involve 3,553,659 registered voters spread across 32 Local Government Areas, 356 Wards, and 6,987 Polling Units.

Yakubu noted: “These vacancies arose due to resignations and deaths of lawmakers since the 2023 general elections, adding that a total of 16 constituencies will go to the polls.

He furthered listed the affected constituencies which include: Senatorial Districts, particularly, Anambra South, Edo Central and Federal Constituencies which consists, Ovia South West/Ovia South East (Edo), Babura/Garki (Jigawa), Chikun/Kajuru (Kaduna), Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North (Ogun) and Ibadan North (Oyo).

Also are State Constituencies including, Ganye (Adamawa), Onitsha North I (Anambra), Dekina/Okura (Kogi), Zaria Kewaye & Basawa (Kaduna), Bagwai/Shanono (Kano), Mariga (Niger), Karim Lamido I (Taraba) and Kauran Namoda South (Zamfara).

Yakubu clarified that bye-elections will not hold in Khana II State Constituency in Rivers State due to the ongoing state of emergency and in Talata Mafara South Constituency in Zamfara State, which is under legal contention.

The INEC Chairman, also announced the timing and activities of the election. Party primaries is slated to hold July 17–21, 2025 while the nomination Form Submission is set for July 22 (9:00 a.m.) to July 26 (6:00 p.m.), 2025. Public Campaigns are also to hold from August 2 to midnight, August 14, 2025

Tge detailed timetable, including maps and delimitation data, has been distributed to party representatives and will be made publicly available online.

In addition, Yakubu announced that two court-ordered rerun elections — Enugu South I (Enugu) and Ghari/Tsanyawa (Kano), previously disrupted by violence, will now be conducted alongside the bye-elections on August 16.

“INEC will deploy 30,451 officials for the process, with full assurances from security agencies to ensure a peaceful exercise,” he said.