INEC To Conduct 12 Bye – Elections In Eight States On October 31

By Chinenye Festus:-
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC through its spokesperson and Chairman of Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye in a statement on Tuesday disclosed that the electoral umpire would conduct all the pending bye-elections in eight states on October 31.
Okoye said political parties would conduct their primaries to nominate candidates between August 24 and September 8 and using the harmonised timetable, INEC would give the notice of election on Monday next week.
According to him, the submission of forms and personal particulars of candidates would take place between September 9 and 13. He explained that the announcement of the date for the bye-elections followed a meeting of INEC leadership to review the preparations for the governorship elections in Edo and Ondo States.
The areas include Bayelsa Central senatorial district, Bayelsa West senatorial district, Nganzai State Constituency in Borno, Bayo State Constituency in Borno, and Cross River North Senatorial District.
Others are Obudu State Constituency in Cross River, Imo North senatorial district, Lagos East senatorial district, Kosofe II State Constituency in Lagos, Plateau South senatorial district, Bakura State Constituency in Zamfara, and Ibaji State Constituency in Kogi.
Okoye said the commission is aware of the vacancy in the Isi Uzo Constituency in Enugu State and Bakori Constituency in Kastina State. He said the reason why INEC is Silent on the matter is because the speakers of the affected assemblies have not formally declared it vacant.