INEC Eyes February 2024 for Combined Rerun and Bye-Elections Across Nigeria
Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is mulling over February 2024 as the date for nationwide rerun and bye-elections to fill vacant seats in both the state and National Assemblies. This announcement, made by INEC Chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu at a meeting with political party leaders, comes as the commission seeks to finalize preparations for the polls.
Key points from the meeting:
- Combined Elections: INEC plans to hold both rerun and bye-elections on the same day in February 2024.
- Rerun Eligibility: Only candidates and parties who participated in the 2023 general elections can contest in the reruns.
- Bye-Election Primaries: Political parties have the freedom to conduct internal primaries to choose their candidates for bye-elections.
- Court-Ordered Reruns: The commission is mandated by court rulings to conduct rerun elections in 34 federal and state constituencies, including one Senate seat, 11 Federal Constituencies, and 22 state constituencies.
- Additional Bye-Elections: Bye-elections will also be held to fill vacancies arising from resignations or deaths of lawmakers.
- Final Date and Schedule: The specific date and detailed timetable for the combined elections will be released after the meeting with party leaders concludes.
- Limited Scope: Professor Yakubu emphasized that the 34 seats slated for reruns represent only 2.8% of the total constituencies contested in the 2023 general elections, underscoring the limited scope of these additional polls.
The announcement of the potential election date and guidelines has ignited discussions within Nigeria’s political landscape. Political parties are gearing up for potential primaries and strategizing their next moves, while voters watch with anticipation to see who might contest and what impact these elections will have on the current political landscape.
With February 2024 as the tentative timeline, Nigerians can expect a lively political scene in the coming months as preparations for the combined rerun and bye-elections unfold.
