Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Independent National Electoral Commission has fixed Saturday, 20 June 2026, for a major round of bye‑elections that will fill four senatorial vacancies, one seat in the House of Representatives, and one State House of Assembly seat across six states, the electoral body announced on Thursday. The timetable, unveiled by INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan during the swearing‑in of a new National Commissioner in Abuja, aligns the bye‑elections with the already scheduled Ekiti State governorship poll, creating a single day of intense electoral activity that will test the commission’s logistical capacity and the political strategies of major parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The four senatorial seats set to be contested are in Ondo, Rivers, Nasarawa and Enugu States. The Ondo South Senatorial District became vacant after Senator Jimoh Ibrahim was appointed Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations. The Senate formally declared the seat vacant on 28 April, following Ibrahim’s confirmation as ambassador in December 2025, and directed INEC to conduct a bye‑election within 30 days. Ibrahim, a prominent All Progressives Congress figure, had chaired the Senate Committee on Inter‑Parliamentary Affairs and was known for his outspoken interventions on security matters.
The Rivers South East Senatorial District fell vacant after the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi on 19 February 2026 at the age of 64 following a brief illness. Mpigi, who chaired the Senate Committee on Works, was widely mourned as a bridge‑builder who worked across party lines. The Federal Ministry of Works held a special tribute in his honour on 8 April, and the Lagos‑Calabar Coastal Highway was rerouted through Ogoniland as a lasting testament to his advocacy.
In Nasarawa State, the Nasarawa North Senatorial District seat became vacant following the death of Senator Godiya Akwashiki on 31 December 2025 at a hospital in India at the age of 52. Akwashiki, a member of the Social Democratic Party and the son of a former deputy governor of the old Benue‑Plateau State, was first elected to the Senate in 2019 and re‑elected in 2023. The Enugu North Senatorial District seat is vacant after the death of Senator Okey Ezea on 18 November 2025 at the age of 62. Ezea, a Labour Party member, was described by colleagues as a “colossus” whose quiet wisdom enriched Senate debates.
In addition to the four senatorial contests, INEC will conduct a bye‑election for the House of Representatives seat in Kano State, though the specific constituency was not disclosed by the commission in its initial announcement. The electoral body also scheduled a bye‑election for a State House of Assembly seat in Kebbi State. The simultaneous holding of these six legislative contests alongside the Ekiti governorship election represents a significant operational challenge. Amupitan, however, expressed confidence in the commission’s preparedness.
“We are going into some off‑cycle elections very soon,” Amupitan told officials at the INEC headquarters. “The Ekiti State Governorship Election is scheduled for June 20, 2026. On the same date, the Commission will conduct bye‑elections to fill vacant seats. The senatorial seats declared vacant in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers and Ondo States will be filled, alongside the Kebbi State House of Assembly seat and the House of Representatives seat in Kano State.” The announcement came against the backdrop of mounting public concern over electoral integrity. A recent Afrobarometer survey found that only 38 per cent of Nigerians trust INEC to conduct free and fair elections, a sharp decline from 68 per cent in 2019. The commission has faced criticism over logistical failures in off‑cycle polls, including late‑arriving materials and malfunctioning electronic devices in the 2025 Anambra South senatorial bye‑election. Amupitan acknowledged these challenges but insisted that lessons had been learned.
The bye‑elections will also serve as an early test of the Electoral Act 2026, which introduced new provisions for electronic transmission of results and real‑time uploads to a public viewing portal. The act, signed by President Bola Tinubu in February, aims to increase transparency and reduce the scope for manipulation. Civil society groups have welcomed the reforms but warned that implementation will determine their effectiveness. The International Centre for Investigative Reporting noted that INEC’s budget for electoral logistics has been increased, but that disbursements have often been delayed.
The bye‑elections will also reveal the political direction of the opposition as it attempts to consolidate ahead of 2027. In Enugu, the Labour Party will defend the seat of its deceased senator, a test of its continued strength in the South‑East after the 2023 elections. In Nasarawa, the Social Democratic Party will seek to retain the seat of its late senator, while the All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party will likely mount strong challenges. The Ondo South contest may attract high‑profile aspirants from the APC, which controls the state government.
The Kano House of Representatives bye‑election and the Kebbi Assembly poll, though lower in profile, will provide early indicators of voter sentiment in two important northern states. Combined with the Ekiti governorship race, the 20 June elections constitute the most significant electoral test since the 2023 general elections. For INEC, the date is a moment of truth. Success will demonstrate that Nigeria’s electoral machinery can manage multiple complex contests simultaneously and that the reforms of the past two years have taken root. Failure could erode public confidence further, with direct consequences for the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan used the occasion to swear in a new National Commissioner, Rear Admiral Jamila Malafa (retd.), a former Director of Legal Services in the Nigerian Navy with extensive experience in electoral logistics. Malafa pledged to contribute to the commission’s success. As the 20 June deadline approaches, INEC now faces the task of printing ballots, training ad‑hoc staff, deploying sensitive materials, and coordinating security across multiple states. The political parties, meanwhile, must quickly organise primaries and select candidates to replace fallen or departed legislators. For the voters in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ondo, Kano and Kebbi, the ballot boxes will open on 20 June. The rest of Nigeria will be watching.
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