…INEC says by-elections scheduled to take place across 16 constituencies in 12 states.
ABUJA, NIGERIA – The iNews Times | The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared its readiness for by-elections scheduled to take place across 16 constituencies in 12 states on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
The commission’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday following INEC’s weekly meeting in Abuja.
The polls will cover two senatorial districts in Anambra and Edo States, five federal constituencies in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo States, as well as nine state constituencies in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna (2), Kano, Kogi, Niger, Taraba, and Zamfara States. Court-ordered re-run elections in Enugu South I State Constituency (Enugu State) and Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency (Kano State) will also be conducted simultaneously.
Olumekun said all non-sensitive materials have been deployed to the states, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices have been configured for the elections. Recruitment and training of ad hoc staff, along with security and logistics arrangements, have also been concluded. The final batch of sensitive materials is being delivered on schedule.
“With less than 48 hours to the opening of polls, the commission reiterates its appeal to all those involved, political parties, candidates, voters, party agents, observers and the media to adhere strictly to the provisions of the law, regulations, and guidelines. Doing so will ensure seamless processes,” Olumekun said.
He also reminded political parties and candidates that campaigns officially end at midnight on Thursday.
In a related development, INEC announced the resumption of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. The online pre-registration portal will open on August 18, while physical registration will begin on August 25 at the commission’s 811 state and local government offices nationwide.
“The list and locations of the centres, including dedicated telephone numbers for citizens in need of assistance, can be obtained from our website and other online platforms. The active CVR Locator will also go live on Sunday, August 17,” Olumekun stated.
The CVR exercise will allow eligible citizens to register for the first time, transfer their registration within or across states, and replace lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs). Olumekun, however, warned that multiple registrations remain illegal and punishable under the law.
“It needs to be re-emphasised that the CVR is only open to Nigerian citizens who are 18 years or older and who have not registered before,” he said.
