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INEC Announces August 16 as Date for 16 Constituency Bye-Elections Across 12 States

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has set August 16 as the date for the conduct of 16 constituency bye-elections in 12 states of the Federation, with a total of 3,553,659 registered voters spread across 32 Local Government Areas, 356 Wards, and 6,987 Polling Units. The commission has confirmed the deployment of 30,451 officials for the exercise, which includes the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) nationwide from August 18. The INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this at the second regular consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja. He also highlighted concerns over the perennial complaints by opposition parties about the denial of access to public facilities for electioneering activities, promising to work with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to institute legal actions against offenders.

Key Takeaways:

  • INEC has set August 16 as the date for 16 constituency bye-elections across 12 states of the Federation.
  • A total of 3,553,659 registered voters in 32 Local Government Areas, 356 Wards, and 6,987 Polling Units are eligible to vote in the bye-elections.
  • 30,451 officials will be deployed by INEC to conduct the elections.
  • The commission will work with the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) to address perennial complaints by opposition parties about the denial of access to public facilities for electioneering activities.
  • The CVR will resume nationwide from August 18, with the online pre-registration option starting on the same date and the in-person registration following on August 25.
  • INEC cited the need to address issues of electoral malpractice and ensure the integrity of the electoral process.
  • INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, emphasized the importance of following the established timelines and procedures for candidate nomination and voter registration.
  • He warned political parties and stakeholders to adhere strictly to the procedure and timelines for candidate nomination, particularly considering the legal requirement for the commission to publish the personal particulars of candidates for claims and objections by citizens within one week from the deadline for submission of nominations.

Statistics:

  • August 16: Date for 16 constituency bye-elections across 12 states.
  • 3,553,659: Total registered voters in 32 Local Government Areas, 356 Wards, and 6,987 Polling Units.
  • 30,451: Number of officials deployed by INEC for the elections.
  • 12: Number of states where the bye-elections will be held.
  • 16: Number of constituencies where bye-elections will be held.
  • 32: Number of Local Government Areas involved in the bye-elections.
  • 356: Number of Wards involved in the bye-elections.
  • 6,987: Number of Polling Units involved in the bye-elections.
  • 90: Number of days required for voter registration and compilation of voters' register.
  • July 17-21: Dates for party primaries for bye-elections.
  • July 22-26: Dates for online submission of nomination forms.
  • August 2-14: Campaign period for bye-elections.
  • August 18: Date for resumption of online CVR.
  • August 25: Date for resumption of in-person CVR.
  • August 11: Deadline for the upload of list of candidates to the dedicated portal.
  • August 11, 6:00 PM: Deadline for the submission of nominations.
  • August 16: Election Day for bye-elections.

Sources:

  • Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
  • Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, INEC Chairman
  • Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC)
  • Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON)
  • Nigerian Electoral Act 2022
  • Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections

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