The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced Saturday, August 16, 2025, as the date for conducting 16 bye-elections in 12 states of the federation, including Ibadan North Federal Constituency in Oyo State. The commission revealed that it will deploy 30,451 officials to manage the exercise.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement in Abuja on Thursday during the commission’s second regular consultative meeting with political parties.
According to Yakubu, the bye-elections will cover two senatorial districts (Anambra South and Edo Central), five federal constituencies—Ibadan North (Oyo), Ovia South West/Ovia South East (Edo), Babura/Garki (Jigawa), Chikun/Kajuru (Kaduna), and Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North (Ogun)—and nine state constituencies. These include Ganye (Adamawa), Onitsha North I (Anambra), Dekina/Okura (Kogi), Zaria Kewaye and Basawa (Kaduna), Bagwai/Shanono (Kano), Mariga (Niger), Karim Lamido I (Taraba), and Kauran Namoda South (Zamfara).
Yakubu explained that the elections will involve 3,553,659 registered voters spread across 32 local government areas, 356 wards, and 6,987 polling units.
However, the commission clarified that bye-elections will not be held for Khana II State Constituency in Rivers State due to the prevailing state of emergency, and Talata Mafara South in Zamfara, where a legal dispute over the declaration of the seat vacant is ongoing.
In addition to the bye-elections, INEC will also conduct two re-run elections ordered by the courts in Enugu South I (Enugu State) and Ghari/Tsanyawa (Kano State), which were previously disrupted by violence. These will be conducted simultaneously with the bye-elections on August 16, following assurances of security support.
Yakubu further disclosed that party primaries for the bye-elections are scheduled to hold between July 17 and 21, 2025. Political parties are expected to submit nomination forms via the online portal from July 22 to July 26, with public campaigns permitted from August 2 and ending on August 14.
On the issue of equitable access to public resources, Yakubu addressed persistent complaints from opposition parties about being denied use of public facilities and media. He warned that such practices contravene the Electoral Act 2022, and revealed that INEC would work with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to initiate legal action against violators going forward.
The INEC Chairman also announced the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. In preparation for the Anambra governorship election, CVR will begin across all 326 wards in the state from July 8 to July 17, operating daily from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., including weekends.
For the rest of the country, online pre-registration will resume on August 18, while in-person registration at INEC state and local government offices will begin on August 25, 2025. The exercise will be held across all 774 LGAs and the FCT.
Regarding the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, Yakubu reminded political parties that the deadline for party primaries is June 30, 2025. Candidate nomination forms must be submitted between July 21 and August 11, and the portal for submissions will close automatically at 6:00 p.m. on August 11.
He urged political parties to strictly adhere to the timeline and submission procedures, emphasizing the legal obligation to publish candidate details for public scrutiny within one week of the nomination deadline.
