About 4,567,689 eligible voters are expected to vote in about 44 National and State Assembly by-election and rerun elections scheduled to be held on the 3rd of February, 2024 in about 27 states of the federation.
The Nation findings revealed that out of the figure, 2,189,171 eligible voters will participate in the bye-elections which will take place in two senatorial districts, four federal constituencies, and three state constituencies.
Also, 2,220,912 voters will participate in the court-ordered rerun elections into the National Assembly, while 157,606 voters will participate in the elections into state constituencies.
Bye elections will be conducted in two senatorial districts of Ebonyi South and Yobe East, four federal constituencies in Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, and Taraba, and three state constituencies in Benue, Borno, and Kaduna states.
The vacancies were created as a result of resignations of the occupants of the officer as well as deaths in the three state constituencies and one federal constituency.
Also, Court ordered rerun elections will be conducted in one Senatorial district of Plateau Central, 12 federal constituencies in 10 states and 16 states.
The Federal constituencies where elections will take place are Sure Lere 1 (Lagos), Gauri/Shanta/Ingaski and Arewa/Dandi (Kebbi), Akoko North East/North West (Ondo), Jalingo/Yorro/Zing (Taraba), Ikono/Ini (Akwa Ibom) and Akamkpa/Biase (Cross River State).
Others are Nnewi North/Nnewi South and Orumba North/Orumba South (Anambra), Igbo Eze North/Udenu (Enugu), Birnin Kudu/Buji (Jigawa), Igabi and Kachia/Kagarko (Kaduna), Faskari/Kankara/Sabuwa (Katsina), Jos North/Bases (Plateau) and Fine/Fune (Yobe) federal constituencies.
Similarly, Senatorial elections will be held in Ebonyi South, Yobe East (following the resignation of Dave Umahi and Ibrahim Gaidam to take up Ministerial positions) and Plateau Central following an order of the Court.
At the state level, elections to fill vacant positions in state Houses of Assembly will take place in Adamawa (1), Akwa Ibom (1), Bauchi (3), Bayelsa (1), Cross River (2), Delta (2), Enugu (1), Kaduna (2), Kano (3), Nasarawa (2), Niger (1), Oyo (1), Sokoto (2), Zamfara (1), Benue (1) and Borno (1).
While only Simon Mwadikwon is facing a court-ordered rerun election into the Senate, 12 members of the House of Representatives are facing court-ordered rerun elections. They are Emmanuel Ukpong-Udo (PDP-Akwa Ibom), Clement Nwachukwu (APGA-Anambra), Change Nnabuife (YPP-Anambra) and Inyang Lamke (APC-Cross Rivers).
The others are Dennis Agbo (LP-Enugu), Adamu Yakubu (PDP-Jigawa), Husseini Halloween (PDP-Kaduna), David Umaru (PDP-Kaduna), Mohammed Jamilu (PDP-Katsina), Garba Rabiu Kamba (APC-Kebbi), Musa Agah Avia (PDP-Plateau) and Jajere Buba Mohammed (PDP-Yobe).
While all the political parties are expected to conduct party primaries to produce candidates for the by-elections, only candidates who participated in the last generation elections are allowed to participate in the rerun elections.
The list of candidates for the by-elections is expected to be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission by January 13, while the final list of candidates will be published on the 17th of January by the Commission.
The campaign is expected to start on January 18 and close on the 1st of February while the elections will hold on the 3rd of February, 2024.
(The Nation)