The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) organized these by-elections to fill vacancies in the legislature caused by the death or resignation of previous members.
However, disruptions such as thuggery, ballot-snatching, and intimidation of voters were reported in many polling units. As a result, INEC suspended the polls in some polling units in Kano, Enugu, Akwa Ibom, and Plateau states due to irregularities and the abduction of election officials.
In Kano state’s Kunchi/Tsanyawa State Constituency, elections were suspended in all 10 polling units due to invasion, vandalism, and disruption by thugs. In Akwa Ibom state’s Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, elections were suspended in two polling units where all election materials were carted away by hoodlums.
In Enugu state’s Enugu South 1 State Constituency, elections were suspended in all eight polling units where the original results sheets were not available for inspection by voters before the commencement of polls.
Despite these challenges, some elections proceeded. For example, in Lagos State’s Surulere Federal Constituency 1, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, Kayode Laguda, was declared the winner. In Bayelsa State, a run-off election was conducted in seven polling units for the State Constituency II. The electoral processes in these areas were relatively peaceful, although there were reports of vote-buying in some places.
Ebonyi
The PDP candidate for the Ebonyi South Senatorial Zone, Silas Onu, accused the APC of snatching ballot boxes, multiple thumb printing and vote-buying.
Onu, who made the allegation in an interview with journalists at the Ishieke Polling Unit in the Ohaozara Local Government Area of the state, said he had to leave his polling unit after voting owing to provocative activities by APC members.
Reacting, the Chairman of the APC in the state, Stanley Okoro-Emegha, said the allegations were baseless and unfounded, adding, “They will always cry because they are losers.”
“Don’t mind them. You are aware that had they won, they wouldn’t come up with such allegations. So, they will always say what they like because the process does not favour them today. So, we are not bothered about what they say,” he stated.
Ondo
The candidates of the APC and the PDP for the Akoko North-East/Akoko North-West Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Mr Ife Ehindero and Mr Lekan Bada, expressed optimism that they would emerge victorious in the poll.
The election recorded a large turnout of voters who converged on polling centres around 8 am to cast their votes.
Speaking with one of our correspondents after casting his vote at Unit 2, Ward 4, Oyin in the Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state, Ehindero said the reports he got from the 23 wards in the constituency were impressive, adding that they were a sign of his victory.
In his comment, the PDP candidate, Bada, who voted in Ward 01, Unit 12 in Ikare-Akoko, commended the peaceful conduct of the election and expressed the hope that he would win the election.
He said, “Where I voted in Ward 01, Unit 12 in Ikare-Akoko was very peaceful. I voted around 10 am and voting went on smoothly. The security arrangement was perfect.
“Due to the rotational agreement, it is the turn of Akoko North-East. If it goes to the North-West, it will take 11 years to come back to the North-East. So, I have the advantage.”
The seat of the federal constituency became vacant following the resignation of Mr Olubumi Tunji-Ojo, who was appointed as the minister for interior by President Bola Tinubu last year.
The candidates of the APC and the PDP for the Akoko North-East/Akoko North-West Federal Constituency of Ondo State, Mr Ife Ehindero and Mr Lekan Bada, expressed optimism that they would emerge victorious in the poll.
The election recorded a large turnout of voters who converged on polling centres around 8 am to cast their votes.
Speaking with one of our correspondents after casting his vote at Unit 2, Ward 4, Oyin in the Akoko North-West Local Government Area of the state, Ehindero said the reports he got from the 23 wards in the constituency were impressive, adding that they were a sign of his victory.
In his comment, the PDP candidate, Bada, who voted in Ward 01, Unit 12 in Ikare-Akoko, commended the peaceful conduct of the election and expressed the hope that he would win the election.
He said, “Where I voted in Ward 01, Unit 12 in Ikare-Akoko was very peaceful. I voted around 10 am and voting went on smoothly. The security arrangement was perfect.
“Due to the rotational agreement, it is the turn of Akoko North-East. If it goes to the North-West, it will take 11 years to come back to the North-East. So, I have the advantage.”
The seat of the federal constituency became vacant following the resignation of Mr Olubumi Tunji-Ojo, who was appointed as the minister for interior by President Bola Tinubu last year.
Kano
INEC suspended the re-run elections in 10 polling units in the Kunchi LGA, Kano, State, following disruptions, irregularities and abduction of electoral officials.
The suspension was contained in a statement by the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voters Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.
Following the disruption of the process, the commission invited security agencies to investigate the incidents.
Kaduna
The state Chairman of the PDP, Hassan Hyat, accused INEC of colluding with the ruling party to frustrate the will of the masses.
He stated this in Jaba-Kogo during the re-run election for the Kachia/Kagarko Federal House of Representatives seat.
According to him, “the re-run elections taking place in some parts of the state were marred by mass voting-buying.
Hyat stated, “Vote-buying is an offense and that is exactly what the nation is crying against and this is happening in the open.
“Unfortunately, this is the situation we have found ourselves in the country; whatever that comes up is an act of illegality.
“We’re not surprised with what’s happening because everybody knows that the PDP won the 2023 gubernatorial election at the state level, but the Supreme Court decided to overturn the voice of the masses using legal technicalities to impose individuals on the people.
“Even the verdict of the Supreme Court on the Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency came to them as a surprise.”
The former Kaduna Federal Commissioner, National Population Commission, Dr Abdulmalik Durunguwa, decried low voter turnout in some of the polling units, citing a lack of voter sensitisation.
He explained that most voters were unaware that elections were taking place in the local government areas.
Students of the Kaduna State University and the Kaduna Polytechnic recruited by INEC to conduct the Kachia/Kagarko Federal House of Representatives re-run election accused the commission of replacing their names with unknown persons 24 hours to the election.
The students also said that they were conveyed free to the local government area, but were not attended to by the commission.
Some of the students were stranded and lamented their poor treatment by INEC.
The INEC electoral officer of the Kachia Local Government Area refused to make comment on the said allegations.
Delta
The Delta State House of Assembly rerun election in the Ethiope-West State Constituency was marred by low turnout of voters in the various polling units and wards.
One of our correspondents observed that the people of Oghara, Mosogar and Jesse communities were going about their normal businesses.
Students of the Kaduna State University and the Kaduna Polytechnic recruited by INEC to conduct the Kachia/Kagarko Federal House of Representatives re-run election accused the commission of replacing their names with unknown persons 24 hours to the election.
The students also said that they were conveyed free to the local government area, but were not attended to by the commission.
Some of the students were stranded and lamented their poor treatment by INEC.
The INEC electoral officer of the Kachia Local Government Area refused to make comment on the said allegations.
Delta
The Delta State House of Assembly rerun election in the Ethiope-West State Constituency was marred by low turnout of voters in the various polling units and wards.
One of our correspondents observed that the people of Oghara, Mosogar and Jesse communities were going about their normal businesses.