The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has urged political parties to nominate only fresh candidates for the upcoming bye-elections to fill vacant legislative positions at both state and federal levels.
He made this appeal during the first quarterly meeting of the year with political party leaders.
Professor Mahmood noted that since the inauguration of the current National and State Assemblies in June 2023, 23 legislative seats have become vacant.
According to him, while nine bye-elections were conducted early last year, 14 additional vacancies have since emerged.
Yakubu described bye-elections as unpredictable, unbudgeted, and difficult to plan for in advance. He noted that in some cases, a single bye-election results in a chain reaction, leading to multiple additional elections.
He cited instances where a House of Representatives member won a senatorial bye-election, creating another vacancy, which was then filled by a State Assembly member, triggering yet another bye-election.
The electoral chairman stressed that these repeated bye-elections divert resources and attention from other critical electoral responsibilities.
He reiterated that since 2016, INEC has been advocating for a more cost-effective alternative to filling legislative vacancies, similar to practices in other countries. He urged political parties to support this advocacy by pushing for legal reforms in the National Assembly.
Yakubu reminded party leaders that during the defense of INEC’s 2025 budget before the Senate and House of Representatives joint committee, the commission reiterated its stance on the need to streamline the bye-election process.
He expressed appreciation for past cooperation from political parties, noting that ahead of last year’s elections, vacancies in the Senate and House of Representatives were filled with fresh candidates, preventing unnecessary multiple bye-elections.
Mahmood urged parties to maintain this cooperative spirit to ensure that each vacant constituency is filled with a single bye-election, rather than multiple elections for the same seat.
