INEC Schedules By-Elections for August 16 Across 12 States

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that by-elections will be conducted on Saturday, August 16, 2025, to fill vacant seats in the National and State Assemblies across 12 states.

According to INEC, the elections will be held in 16 constituencies, including two senatorial districts, five federal constituencies, and nine state assembly seats. These polls will cover 32 local government areas, 356 registration areas (wards), and 6,987 polling units, with over 3.5 million registered voters expected to participate.

INEC plans to deploy approximately 30,451 personnel for the exercise.

However, the Commission clarified that by-elections will not take place in Khana II Constituency in Rivers State, due to a state of emergency, and Talata Mafara South in Zamfara State, pending the outcome of ongoing court proceedings.

Additionally, two court-ordered re-run elections will also be conducted on the same day in Enugu South I (Enugu State) and Ghari/Tsanyawa (Kano State) constituencies.

INEC has also released the timeline for the electoral process:

• Party primaries: July 17–21
• Submission of nominations: July 22–26
• Campaign period: August 2–14

Meanwhile, the Commission announced that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) will resume shortly after the by-elections. Online pre-registration will begin on August 18, followed by in-person registration at INEC offices from August 25.

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to conducting free, fair, and credible elections and urged political parties and stakeholders to adhere strictly to the guidelines and timetable.