High Stakes: Over 3.5 Million Nigerians To Decide Legislative Future On August 16!

About 3,553,659 eligible voters across 6,987 polling units in 12 states, 32 Local Government Areas, and 356 Wards are expected to participate in the crucial August 16 bye-elections into both the National and State Houses of Assembly.

According to iReporter Online, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had earlier opened its candidate nomination portal on Monday, July 21, which automatically closed on Saturday, July 26.

The final list of candidates was initially expected to be published on Friday, August 1, 2025, while campaigns officially kicked off on Saturday, August 2.

INEC’s media accreditation portal closed on July 31, and the commission has since released the list of accredited observers—featuring 60 local and four foreign groups, including the European Union delegation.

However, according to iReporter Online, the final list of candidates and the number of participating political parties had yet to be published at the time of reporting.

The elections will cover two senatorial districts in Edo and Anambra and five Federal Constituencies spanning Edo, Ogun, Kaduna, Jigawa, and Oyo.

Notably, the Edo Central Senatorial seat became vacant following Senator Monday Okoebholo’s resignation to contest the governorship, while Anambra South was left vacant due to the death of Senator Ifeanyi Uba.

In addition, vacancies in federal constituencies like Ovia (Edo), Ibadan North (Oyo), Chikun/Kajuru (Kaduna), Bakura/Garki (Jigawa), and Ikene/Shagamu/Remo North (Ogun) stemmed from either resignations or lawmakers’ deaths.

Elections for State Houses of Assembly are also expected in Kogi, Zamfara, Niger, Taraba, Adamawa, Kano, Anambra, and Kaduna.

According to iReporter Online, the Labour Party’s Julius Abure-led faction has threatened legal action over its alleged exclusion from the election process, though officials urged stakeholders to await the final candidate list before drawing conclusions.

Meanwhile, INEC has warned political parties to avoid careless errors in candidate nominations.

Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, National Commissioner and Chairperson of INEC’s Legal Services Committee, noted that mistakes in documentation or incomplete submissions could severely undermine a party’s chances.

Despite the efficiency of the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal (ICNP), some political parties continue to struggle with document uploads, form errors, and staff turnover. A two-day refresher workshop was conducted to close these gaps and strengthen nomination protocols.

Security-wise, National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, has pledged adequate protection for the elections.

Speaking through Hassan Y. Abdullahi, Director of Internal Security, Ribadu emphasized the deployment of real-time intelligence and preemptive strategies to ensure a peaceful process during a recent meeting of the Interagency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, had earlier raised security concerns, prompting renewed cooperation between electoral and security agencies to protect the integrity of the upcoming elections.

”IREPORTER REPORTS”