INEC To Conduct Re-run Elections In 34 Constituencies

By Kayode Oyedare

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC is to conduct re-run elections next February in 34 Constituencies as ordered by the Election Petition Appeal Tribunal.

INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu who stated this during an extraordinary consultative meeting with Political Parties said the re-run was the aftermath of litigations from this year’s general election.

The Chairman said the meeting was to brief party leaders on the rerun elections arising from Court orders and fill vacancies following the death or resignation of members of the National Assembly and State houses of Assembly.

The re-run elections in 34 Constituencies made up of one Senatorial District, Eleven Federal Constituencies, and Twenty-Two State Assembly Constituencies.

”So far, the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals have ordered the Commission to conduct re-run elections in 34 constituencies made up of one Senatorial District, 11 Federal Constituencies, and 22 State Assembly constituencies.”

”However, the 34 constituencies constitute 2.8% of the 1,191 petitions filed by litigants. Significantly, out of the 34 re-run elections, it is only in three cases that the Commission was ordered to conduct elections in the entire constituencies.”

In the other 31 constituencies, elections are to be held in a few polling units.

”About the bye-elections, you may recall that in my recent address at the swearing-in of new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) which was combined with our last quarterly meeting with the RECs nationwide, I made a commitment that the Commission will conduct elections to fill vacancies in the National and State Assembly constituencies,” he said.

Professor Mahmood Yakubu urged leaders of political parties to conduct fresh primaries within the limited period provided by law.

According to him, ”The Commission is looking at the first week of February 2024 i.e. in just a little over one month to conduct both the re-run and bye-elections. At the end of this consultative meeting, the Commission will meet to review preparations and announce a definite date, including the detailed Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the elections. Full delimitation details, including locations, number of Polling Units, registered voters, and Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) collected in each constituency will be uploaded to our website for public information.

The INEC Chairman assured that at the end of litigations pending at the Supreme Court, the commission would present a comprehensive analysis of the petitions.

Edited By Grace Namiji