Registered voters in 13 states across Nigeria will on Saturday head to the polls to elect new representatives in the Senate, House of Representatives, and state houses of assembly.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission, the by-elections are expected to be held in 16 constituencies.
The affected states are Jigawa, Edo, Ogun, Oyo, Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Taraba, Kogi, Niger, Enugu, and Zamfara.
INEC said the final consignment of sensitive materials was deployed on Thursday.
It disclosed that the by-elections involved two senatorial districts in Anambra and Edo states, five federal constituencies in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo states, and nine state constituencies in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Niger, Taraba, and Zamfara states.
It said the by-elections were caused by the resignation or death of serving members of the national and state assemblies.
The Anambra Central seat in the Senate became vacant following the death of Senator Ifeanyi Uba of the Young Progressive Party (YPP) in July 2024.
That of Edo Central became open after the election of Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the governor of Edo State.
“Similarly, the court-ordered re-run election in Enugu South 1 State Constituency of Anambra State and the Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency of Kano State will be held simultaneously with the by-elections.
“All non-sensitive materials for the election have been delivered to the States. Election technology, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), has been configured for the election. The recruitment and training of ad hoc staff, as well as security and logistics arrangements, have been concluded.
“The commission wishes to remind political parties and candidates that campaigns end at midnight today, Thursday, August 14, 2025,” a statement by the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, partly read.
IGP Orders Restriction Of Movement
The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on Friday ordered the restriction of all forms of vehicular movement on roads, waterways, and other forms of transportation, from 12 am to 6 pm on election day within affected local government areas.
Egbetokun said those on essential services, including officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), accredited media, and electoral observers, ambulances responding to medical emergencies, and firefighters, were exempted.
The IGP reiterated the ban on all security aides to VIPs and escorts from accompanying their principals and politicians to polling booths and collation centres during the election.
AIGs, CPs Deployed To States
He also ordered the deployment of senior officers to ensure a hitch-free exercise.
The senior officers deployed are of the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Commissioners of Police, and are expected to assist the Commissioners of police in the affected states.
Officers and men of the Police Mobile Force, Special Intervention Squad, Force Intelligence Department, and other tactical units have also been deployed.
“Sequel to the forthcoming by-election in 13 states across the federation scheduled to hold tomorrow, August 16, 2025, the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, has reiterated his earlier directives on the deployment of operational logistics to the affected states and local government areas where the elections would hold to provide an enabling environment for a free and fair elections.
“To ensure smooth elections, the IGP has directed the deployment of senior officers of the rank of Assistant Inspector-General of Police and Commissioners of Police to assist state commissioners of police to ensure proper supervision over the electoral process for a smooth and hitch free election, while officers and men of the Police Mobile Force, Special Intervention Squad, Force Intelligence Department and other tactical units have equally been deployed,” a statement signed by the Force Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Ogunjobi, read in part.
He also noted that state-established and owned security outfits or organisations, quasi-security units, and privately-owned guards and security outfits were also barred from participating in election security management.
The police chief urged all officers deployed for the special duty to ensure compliance with the NPF standard operational protocols for elections and further urged all citizens to be law-abiding during and after the elections.
He assured that all necessary security arrangements had been provided to ensure that the right to vote is not obstructed.
INEC said the vacant seats would be contested by different political parties, including the Social Democratic Party (SDP), following the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, which ordered the electoral commission to include the party and its candidates in the by-elections in 12 States of the federation.
Asked whether the Labour Party (LP) would be on the ballot, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said on Friday, “The issue of the Labour Party is in court. You will have to excuse me; I don’t want to comment on that because it will be subjudice.”
INEC To Upload Results On IREV
Meanwhile, INEC said the results of the elections would be uploaded on its Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
“After the close of the poll and the ballots have been sorted, counted, and the figures entered correctly into the Form EC8A, which is the polling unit result, the presiding officers are required to snap a picture of the PU results and then upload it to the IREV.
“And of course, maybe between 3 pm and 4 pm, depending on when each polling unit concludes, the results will be posted, and Nigerians will have access to see the results as they are posted from the various polling units,” Oyekanmi said while speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
