INEC Sets Date for By-Elections in Four States

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has scheduled Saturday, September 19, 2026, for legislative by-elections in four states across Nigeria.

The elections will be held in Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states to fill five vacant seats in the affected constituencies.

INEC announced the date on Friday through a post on its official X account, stating that voting would take place at polling units within the affected areas.

According to the commission, voting is expected to start at 8:30am and close at 2:30pm on election day.

The vacant seats include the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State, Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano State, Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies in Bauchi State, and Udu State Constituency in Delta State.

The vacancies occurred for different reasons across the four states.

In Gombe State, the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency seat became vacant following the death of its representative, Yaya Bauchi Tongo, who died in June 2026.

In Bauchi State, the two vacant State Assembly seats also became available under different circumstances. The former lawmaker representing Sakwa died, while the member representing Disina resigned from the Assembly to contest for a local government chairmanship position.

The Udu State Constituency seat in Delta State became vacant after the former lawmaker, Collins Egbetamah, defected from the All Progressives Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress. The Delta State House of Assembly subsequently declared the seat vacant.

In Kano State, the Dawakin Kudu State Constituency seat became vacant after its former representative, Rabiu Shuaibu, left the State Assembly to contest the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency election.

Shuaibu later won the federal constituency by-election held in June, defeating candidates of the Allied Peoples Movement and the Labour Party.

INEC has now fixed September 19 for voters in the affected constituencies to elect new representatives and fill the five legislative vacancies across the four states.

The commission is expected to conduct the polls at designated polling units within the affected constituencies, with voting beginning in the morning and ending in the afternoon.