The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will conduct four bye-elections into National Assembly seats made vacant by lawmakers nominated for ministers by President Bola Tinubu.
The Chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this disclosure at the 2023 Post Election Review meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in Lagos on Friday.
Yakubu said the four bye-elections would be conducted to fill the vacant seats created by the exit of two Senators and two members of the House of Representatives, nominated for ministerial posts from their states.
He said in all, INEC now has eight bye-elections, adding that the elections would also provide it the opportunity to keep test running some of the suggestions and recommendations made at the post-election meeting with stakeholders.
“This is also another opportunity for us to conduct credible elections because so far, we have four vacancies declared in the forthcoming bye-elections at state levels.
“These are Surulere I Constituency in Lagos State, Jalingo Yaransi Constituency in Taraba , Chibok State Constituency in Borno and Chifun State Constituency in Kaduna State.
Yakubu said the commission would implement the recommendations and suggestions made at the meeting with stakeholders to plan better for the Imo, Bayelsa and Kogi elections, billed for Nov. 11.
The chairman said the INEC had earlier promised Nigerians that the commission would embark on review of the election within a month, which started on July 1 with the meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners.
According to him, the commission started at the state level consultation meeting with the RECs and we have engagement with the transport unions and electoral officials in Abuja.
Yakubu said the commission also had engagement with political parties, civil society organisations, media as well as security agencies.
He recalled that on Monday, it had a meeting with media executives in Lagos and on Tuesday, it had a meeting with administrative secretaries and today it was rounding up with a meeting with the RECs.
The chairman said overall, he was encouraged not only by the response from stakeholders but also the quality of the contributions they had made.
