Nigeria: INEC schedules five by-elections for September 19

The elections will cover the federal constituency of Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye, as well as the constituencies of Dawakin Kudu in Kano State, Sakwa and Disina in Bauchi State, and Udu in Delta State. INEC’s official platforms list these elections for September 19.

Polling stations are set to open at 8:30 am and close at 2:30 pm. The five seats became vacant due to deaths, a resignation, a political defection, or the departure of elected officials to pursue other positions.

In Gombe, the federal seat has been vacant since the death of Representative Yaya Bauchi Tongo in June. In Bauchi State, the Sakwa seat also became vacant following the death of its incumbent, while the representative of Disina left the assembly to run for a local government chairmanship.

In Delta, the state assembly declared the Udu seat vacant after Collins Egbetamah defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress. In Kano, Rabiu Shuaibu vacated his seat in the state assembly to contest the federal constituency of Dawakin Kudu/Warawa, which he won in a by-election in June.

This upcoming election comes as INEC continues to manage party registrations and preparations for the national electoral cycle. The commission recently implemented a court ruling regarding the logo of the Nigeria Democratic Congress.