The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Mahmood Yakubu, has spoken out against the conduct of by-elections as part of the electoral process in Nigeria.
The INEC boss spoke during a consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja on Wednesday.
Yakubu raised concerns about the escalating costs and logistical challenges posed by the increasing frequency of by-elections across Nigeria.
He also threw his weight behind legislative reforms to establish cost-effective methods of filling vacancies at the National and State Assemblies.
He also said that since June 2023, his Commission had recorded 23 vacancies caused by the deaths or resignations of lawmakers to take up executive positions.
Yakubu clarified that INEC conducted nine by-elections in 2024, but that another 14 vacancies have since emerged, straining the commission’s resources.
“These by-elections are unpredictable, unbudgeted, and challenging to plan. Worse still, some by-elections trigger additional ones.
“For instance, a by-election for a senatorial seat vacated by a House of Representatives member leads to another by-election for the vacated House seat, which then requires a State Assembly replacement,” he explained.
Following the call by human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, for the scraping of by-elections, Yakubu revealed that his Commission has been advocating for such changes, too, and he called for synergy with stakeholders.
“We are pleased that more Nigerians are joining the call for reform. Working together, we can improve and strengthen our electoral process,” he said.
In addition, Yakubu detailed the plans for key elections, including the Anambra State Governorship Election slated for November 2025 and the Federal Capital Territory Area Council Election scheduled for February 2026.
“Primaries for the Anambra election will hold between March 20 and April 10, 2025.
“Additionally, the FCT Area Council election is set for February 21, 2026, to elect six Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councilors,” he said.
