The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has been directed by the Election Petition Tribunals to hold new elections in 34 constituencies, which consist of one senatorial district, eleven federal constituencies, and twenty-two state assembly constituencies.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC, disclosed this in a statement during an unusual consultative meeting with political parties on Monday in Abuja.
“So far, the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals have ordered the Commission to conduct re-run elections in 34 constituencies made up of one Senatorial District, 11 Federal Constituencies and 22 State Assembly constituencies. However, the 34 constituencies constitute 2.8% of the 1,191 petitions filed by litigants. Significantly, out of the 34 re-run elections, it is only in three cases that the Commission was ordered to conduct elections in the entire constituencies. In the other 31 constituencies, elections are to be held in a few polling units.”
The INEC chief stated that the meeting’s goal was to inform party leaders of the Commission’s plans for the upcoming elections, which are scheduled for early January.
Yakubu disclosed that the Commission was targeting the first week of February 2024 to conduct both the re-run and bye-elections.
He declared that the Commission was mandated by court order to hold by-elections to cover vacancies left by the resignation or death of members of the National and State Houses of Assembly, as well as to hold rerun elections in certain constituencies.
Yakubu further promised that the Commission will provide a thorough review of the petitions at the conclusion of all legal proceedings, including the ongoing Supreme Court appeal of the Governorship elections.
