Eight Political Parties Will Field 20 Candidates In Legislative By-Elections Across Six States

According to Ireporter Online, eight out of Nigeria’s 22 registered political parties are set to field 20 candidates for the June 20 off-cycle legislative by-elections across six states, based on information obtained from the INEC portal.

The by-elections will fill vacant seats in four senatorial districts—Nasarawa, Enugu, Rivers, and Ondo—as well as one House of Representatives seat in Kano and a state assembly seat in Kebbi. The positions became vacant following deaths and resignations of former occupants.

In Nasarawa State, candidates from the Labour Party (LP), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), All Progressives Congress (APC), and New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) will contest the Nasarawa North Senatorial seat, which became vacant after the death of Senator Godiya Akwashiki. The late senator, elected in 2023 under the Social Democratic Party (SDP), passed away on December 31, 2025, in India after a prolonged illness.

In Enugu State, the Enugu North Senatorial seat will be contested by the APC, Boot Party (BP), and PDP following the death of Senator Okey Ezea, who was elected on the platform of the Labour Party. Ezea died on November 18, 2025, in Lagos at the age of 62. Meanwhile, the Labour Party has reportedly approached the Federal High Court in Abuja, challenging its exclusion from the Enugu by-election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

In Rivers State, the senatorial seat for Rivers South will be contested by the Action Alliance (AA), APC, LP, and PDP following the death of Senator Barina Mpigi, who passed away in London on February 19, 2026, after a prolonged illness. He was elected under the PDP platform.

In Ondo State, four parties—the Action Peoples Party (APP), APC, Allied Peoples Movement (APM), and Boot Party (BP)—will compete for the Ondo South Senatorial seat formerly occupied by Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who was appointed Nigeria’s Ambassador to the United Nations by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In Kano State, the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency seat will be contested by the APC, APM, and LP following the death of Hon. Mohammed Hassan, who died on April 11, 2026, in Abuja. In Kebbi State, the Zuru State Constituency seat will be contested by the APC and LP after the death of former Speaker Mohammed Usman Zuru.

INEC has cleared several candidates across the affected constituencies to participate in the elections, including Adesanya Olaoluwa (APP), Faduyile Adedayo (APC), Akinwunmi Harrison (APM), and Funso Clement (BP) in Ondo; Halilu Envulu-Aza (APC), Labaran Maku (LP), John Paul Araneshri (NNPP), and Emmanuel Ombugadu (PDP) in Nasarawa; Douglas Fabeke Beeka (AA), Osarosaka Erewari (APC), Sam Kinanee Barikpoa (LP), and Nwogu Olaka Johnson (PDP) in Rivers; Asogwa Ikeje Israel (APC), Anele Chukwuma (BP), and Ezeme Nestor Chika (PDP) in Kano; and Rabiu Shuaibu (APC), Lawal Garba (APM), and Abubakar Mohammed (LP) in Kebbi.