INEC to publish final list of candidates for bye- elections January 17
By Tunde Opalana
Political parties willing to present candidates for the February 3, 2024 bye- elections and court ordered polls have till January 13 to file their nominations as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will publish final list of candidates on January 17.
According to the National Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Sam Olumekun, the Commission will conduct bye-elections in both Ebony-South and Yobe East) senatorial districts as well as
Plateau Central following court orders.
Aside this, he said INEC fill four vacant House of Representatives seats by conducting election in four federal constituencies in Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo and Taraba states and in one seat each in Benue, Borno and Kaduna states House of Assemblies.
He said the vacancies were created as a result of the either resignations of the occupants of the seats and or the deaths of the previous occupants.
However, fresh elections will be conducted in Plateau Central senatorial district and 12 federal constituencies of the House of Representatives, all as a result of verdict of courts over election litigations.
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The Commission also disclosed that 4,567,689 eligible voters will participate in the re-run and bye-elections in the 27 states.
A breakdown of registered voters showed that 2,189,171 will participate in bye-elections in two senatorial districts, four federal constituencies and three state constituencies.
While 2,220,912 voters will participate in court-ordered re-run elections into both chambers of the National Assembly, 157,606 eligible voters will participate in the elections into state constituencies.
The Federal constituencies include Surulere 1 (Lagos), Gauri/Shanta/Ingaski and Arewa/Dandi (Kebbi), Akoko North East/North West (Ondo), Jalingo/Yorro/Zing (Taraba), Ikono/Ini (Akwa Ibom) and Akamkpa/Biase (Cross River State).
Others are Nnewi North/Nnewi South and Orumba North/Orumba South (Anambra), Igbo Eze North/Udenu (Enugu), Birnin Kudu/Buji (Jigawa), Igabi and Kachia/Kagarko (Kaduna), Faskari/Kankara/Sabuwa (Katsina), Jos North/Bases (Plateau) and Fine/Fune (Yobe).
At the state level, elections will be conducted to fill vacant positions in Adamawa, Akwa Ibom Bauchi Bayelsa Cross River, Delta, Enugu, Kaduna Kano Nasarawa Niger, Oyo, Sokoto, Zamfara, Benue and Borno states.
The National Commissioner said political parties and their candidates are expected to start campaign for votes on January 18 and close on February 1.
