The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that a series of by-elections will be held on Saturday, August 16, 2025, to fill vacant seats in the National and State Assemblies across 12 states.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, made the announcement during a meeting with political party leaders in Abuja on Thursday.
He stated that the vacancies were created by resignations, deaths, and court-ordered annulments.
A total of 16 constituencies will be involved in the elections, including:
- Two senatorial districts: Anambra South and Edo Central.
- Five federal constituencies: Ovia South West/Ovia South East (Edo), Babura/Garki (Jigawa), Chikun/Kajuru (Kaduna), Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North (Ogun), and Ibadan North (Oyo).
- Nine state assembly seats: Ganye (Adamawa), Onitsha North I (Anambra), Dekina/Okura (Kogi), Zaria Kewaye and Basawa (Kaduna), Bagwai/Shanono (Kano), Mariga (Niger), Karim Lamido I (Taraba), and Kauran Namoda South (Zamfara).
Yakubu confirmed that INEC will deploy 30,451 officials to conduct the polls, which will cover 3,553,659 registered voters across 32 local government areas, 356 wards, and 6,987 polling units.
However, INEC will not hold by-elections in two state constituencies: Khana II in Rivers State, due to a state of emergency, and Talata Mafara South in Zamfara State, which is currently subject to ongoing legal proceedings.
Political parties are expected to hold their primaries between July 17 and 21. The online submission of nomination forms will be from July 22 to 26, and campaign activities will run from August 2 to August 14.
In addition to the by-elections, Yakubu announced that two court-ordered re-run elections—in Enugu South I (Enugu) and Ghari/Tsanyawa (Kano)—will also be held on August 16. These re-runs were previously disrupted by violence.
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