The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has scheduled bye-elections for Saturday, August 16, 2025, to fill vacant National and State Assembly seats across 16 constituencies in 12 states, involving over 3.5 million registered voters.
Announcing the date during a consultative meeting in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said the elections would cover two senatorial districts, five federal constituencies, and nine state constituencies across 32 LGAs, 356 wards, and nearly 7,000 polling units.
Due to security concerns and legal issues, elections will not be held in Khana II (Rivers) and Talata Mafara South (Zamfara) for now. INEC will also conduct two previously suspended court-ordered re-runs in Enugu South I and Ghari/Tsanyawa.
Voter Registration Resumes in Phases
INEC will resume Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) as follows:
Online pre-registration: Begins August 18, 2025
In-person registration: Starts August 25, 2025
Anambra State: Will commence early from July 8–17, ahead of its November 8 governorship poll
The exercise will allow new voter registration, PVC replacement, and transfer requests. INEC will deploy 30,451 officials nationwide.
Primaries and Campaign Timeline, Party primaries: July 17–21, Nomination submissions: July 22–26, Campaign window: August 2–14
Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) Chairman, Yusuf Dantalle, urged INEC to adopt advanced technologies like AI to enhance trust, transparency, and efficiency in the electoral process.
“Voter apathy persists due to distrust in the system. INEC must rebuild confidence—starting with the Anambra election,” Dantalle stressed.
