The House of Representatives has directed its Committee on Electoral Matters to investigate the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over delays in conducting bye-elections for vacant seats in both the National Assembly and state legislative houses.
The committee has been tasked with summoning INEC’s leadership to explain the reasons behind the delay and outline the steps being taken to address the situation. A report is expected within four weeks for further legislative action.
This decision followed a motion presented by Representative Jafaru Leko. While presenting his motion, Leko noted that INEC, established under Section 153(f) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), is responsible for conducting elections at federal, state, and local levels, including the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
He further noted that Sections 47 and 90 of the Constitution outline the structure of the National Assembly and state Houses of Assembly, ensuring citizens have proper representation.
Leko pointed out that since the 2023 general elections, some legislative seats have become vacant due to resignations, deaths, or appointments of lawmakers to executive positions.
Section 68 of the Constitution states that members of the National Assembly must vacate their seats under certain conditions, while Section 76(2) mandates that a bye-election should be held within one month of a vacancy being declared.
However, despite these constitutional provisions, INEC has yet to conduct elections to fill these vacant positions. Leko expressed concern that the delay in holding these bye-elections has left affected constituencies without representation, thereby denying citizens their right to be heard in legislative matters. He warned that INEC’s failure to act promptly could set a dangerous precedent where adherence to electoral laws becomes optional rather than mandatory.
The House also instructed its Committee on Legislative Compliance to ensure that INEC follows through with the directive.
Reports indicate that there are currently seven vacant legislative seats. Five of these are in the House of Representatives, affecting constituencies in Edo, Oyo, Kaduna, Ogun, and Jigawa states. The remaining two are Senate seats in Edo and Anambra states.
The vacancies resulted from various circumstances. Two of the seats in Edo became vacant after the last governorship election in the state. Governor Monday Okpebholo and his deputy, Denis Idahosa, were both former federal lawmakers before assuming their new roles. The other five seats became vacant due to the deaths of elected lawmakers, including Senator Ifeanyi Ubah (Anambra South), Isa Dogonyaro (Jigawa), Ekene Abubakar Adams (Kaduna), Olaide Akinremi (Oyo), and Adewunmi Oriyomi Onanuga (Ogun).
