The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially scheduled by-elections for Saturday, August 16, 2025, across 16 constituencies in 12 states of Nigeria. This decision was announced by INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, during the second regular consultative meeting with political parties in Abuja. These elections are set to involve a significant number of registered voters, totaling 3,553,659 individuals spread across 32 Local Government Areas, 356 Wards, and 6,987 Polling Units, necessitating the deployment of 30,451 officials.

The vacancies necessitating these by-elections have occurred nationwide over the past two years since the inauguration of the national and state assemblies in June 2023, primarily due to the death or resignation of members. Specifically, the outstanding by-elections will cover two Senatorial Districts (Anambra South and Edo Central), five Federal Constituencies (Ovia South-West/Ovia South-East in Edo State, Babura/Garki in Jigawa State, Chikun/Kajuru in Kaduna State, Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North in Ogun State, and Ibadan North in Oyo State), and nine State Constituencies (Ganye in Adamawa State, Onitsha North I in Anambra State, Dekina/Okura in Kogi State, Zaria Kewaye and Basawa in Kaduna State, Bagwai/Shanono in Kano State, Mariga in Niger State, Karim Lamido I in Taraba State, and Kauran Namoda South in Zamfara State).

However, by-elections will not be held in two State Constituencies for the time being: Khana II in Rivers State, due to a current state of emergency, and Talata Mafara South in Zamfara State, owing to a legal challenge regarding the declaration of the seat as vacant. The timeline for these by-elections is tight, with party primaries scheduled from July 17-21, 2025. The online portal for submitting nomination forms will open at 9:00 AM on July 22 and close at 6:00 PM on July 26, 2025. Campaign activities are slated to commence on August 2, 2025, and conclude at midnight on August 14, 2025, precisely 24 hours before Election Day.

In addition to the by-elections, INEC will also conduct two outstanding court-ordered re-run elections in Enugu South I State Constituency of Enugu State and Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency in Kano State. These re-run elections, previously disrupted by thuggery and violence, will now be combined with the by-elections on August 16, 2025, following assurances of adequate security from agencies.

Furthermore, the Commission has approved the resumption of Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) nationwide. Online pre-registration is set to begin on Monday, August 18, 2025, while in-person registration will commence on Monday, August 25, 2025, to allow more Nigerians to register or update their voter information.

In response to these developments, Yusuf Dantalle, Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), urged INEC to leverage the upcoming Anambra State governorship election on November 8, 2025, to demonstrate its capacity for conducting free, fair, and technology-driven elections. He specifically called on INEC to rebuild public trust by utilizing new technologies, including Artificial Intelligence (AI), for enhanced decision-making, risk management, voter engagement, predictive analytics, automation, and integrity safeguards.

Meanwhile, Prof. Okechukwu Ibeanu, a former National Commissioner of INEC, raised concerns at a memorial forum. He contended that Nigeria’s electoral system has evolved into a ritualistic process, largely devoid of substance and primarily designed to serve the interests of the elite, thereby marginalizing the masses from meaningful democratic participation. Despite existing democratic structures like periodic elections, he argued that true democracy remains elusive for the majority of Nigerians, who continue to face poverty.