On Monday the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has revealed locations where it would be conducting reruns and bye-elections.
Additionally, the Commission stated that it plans to hold the elections during the first week of February in 2024.
Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said as much during an unprecedented consultative meeting with political parties at the Abuja headquarters of the Commission.
The purpose of the meeting was to brief party leaders on the Commission’s preparation for the forthcoming elections to be held early in the new year.
The INEC Chairman clarified that the elections fall into two categories: (1) bye-elections to fill vacancies left by the resignation or death of members of the National and State Houses of Assembly, and (2) bye-elections in constituencies where rerun elections are mandated by court order.
He said the Commission intends to combine and conduct the two categories of elections on the same day.
He reminded the political parties that, unless a party wants to replace a deceased candidate, rerun elections only include the parties and candidates that ran in the general election.
“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,” he added.
“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.
“I made a commitment that the Commission will conduct elections to fill vacancies in the National and State Assembly constituencies.
“The Commission is looking at the first week of February 2024 i.e. in just a little over one month to conduct both the re-run and bye-elections.
He said a detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the elections. “Full delimitation details, including locations, number of Polling Units, registered voters and Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) collected in each constituency will be uploaded to our website for public information.”
