The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it is now confronted with conducting at least eight bye-elections across the country instead of the four earlier plan for and also announced their preparedness for the coming bye-elections.
Prof. Mahmood Yakubu said the number increased from four to eight, given that two senators and two federal House of Representatives members have been nominated as Ministers by President Bola Tinubu.
Prof. Yakubu stated this in Lagos, during a meeting with the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs).
Adding that the other four bye-elections are as a result of the resignation of a federal lawmaker, and the deaths of another federal lawmaker-elect as well as two state lawmakers.
Yakubu listed the constituencies affected to include the Surulere 1 Federal Constituency of Lagos State where the elected lawmaker, a former speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, resigned to take up the position of the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu.
Another affected constituency is the Jalingo, Yerro, and Zing Federal Constituency of Taraba State. The member-elect for the constituency, Isma’ila Maihanchi, died on April 22 before he was inaugurated.
The other constituencies involved are Chibok Constituency of Borno State and Chikun Constituency of Kaduna State.
The member representing Chibok in the Borno House of Assembly, Nuhu Clark, died on April 12 while undergoing treatment in India.
Meanwhile, Yakubu has said the Commission would sanction erring officials in the just concluded 2023 general elections.
Yakubu, who disclosed this at the post-election review of the 2023 general elections with some administrative secretaries, said there were areas that required rededication, commitment and improvement.
He said the meeting with the administrative secretaries was to identify some of the administrative issues that affected INEC’s performance in the last elections
The chairman noted that the review of the administrative secretaries was important because Nigerians judged the Commission based on the performance of the administrative officers in their respective states.
He said some of the administrative secretaries discharged their responsibilities effectively and the commission appreciated their dedication and commitment.
“Based on the feedback from the public, the Commission has identified these challenges and how to resolve them for future elections. Among them were late arrival of election materials to some polling units, inefficient service at polling units by trained officials, management of the BVAS technology and insecurity of facilities and personnel.”
Yakubu explained that to achieve prompt collation of polls nationwide at the appointed hour, the administrative officers in their respective states must get their logistics right.
He said the commission wanted to know the obstacles to the full implementation of these arrangements.
Yakubu said with regard to the management of the new technologies, the Commission wanted to know the challenges the administrative secretaries encountered during the elections.
The chairman noted that in terms of security of facilities and personnel, the Commission would like to know their experience on the field and how INEC could improve in this respect.
He urged the secretaries across the states to frankly speak on issues that were identified, saying that doing so would ensure the challenges encountered on the field at the last general elections were addressed.
