The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct 12 bye-elections in eight states.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, made the announcement in a statement on Tuesday.
He disclosed that the electoral umpire would conduct all the pending bye-elections on October 31.
Okoye added that by the harmonised timetable, INEC would give the notice of election on Monday next week while political parties would conduct their primaries to nominate candidates between August 24 and September 8.
According to him, the submission of forms and personal particulars of candidates would take place between September 9 and 13.
The INEC spokesman noted that the commission was aware of the vacancies in Isi-Uzo State Constituency in Enugu and Bakori State Constituency in Katsina.
He, however, said INEC has yet to take any action because the speakers of the affected state assemblies have yet to formally declare the vacancies.
Okoye asked the political parties and concerned stakeholders to take note of the timelines in the schedule and strictly adhere to them.
He explained that the announcement of the date for the bye-elections followed a meeting of INEC leadership to review the preparations for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.
The areas include Bayelsa Central senatorial district, Bayelsa West senatorial district, Nganzai State Constituency in Borno, Bayo State Constituency in Borno, nd Cross River North senatorial district.
Others are Obudu State Constituency in Cross River, Imo North senatorial district, Lagos East senatorial district, Kosofe II State Constituency in Lagos, Plateau South senatorial district, Bakura State Constituency in Zamfara, and Ibaji State Constituency in Kogi.
Read the full statement below:
