INEC to Present Certificates of Return to By-Election Winners on Thursday
INEC to Present Certificates of Return to By-Election Winners on Thursday
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that winners of last Saturday’s by-elections across 12 states will be presented with their Certificates of Return on Thursday, August 21.
This was disclosed on Tuesday by INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.
According to Olumekun, the presentation for senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives will take place at INEC headquarters in Abuja at 3:00 p.m., while elected members of the state Houses of Assembly will receive theirs at their respective state INEC offices on Friday, August 22, at 11:00 a.m.
He added, “In compliance with Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, Certificates of Return will be presented to the Senators-elect for Anambra South and Edo Central Senatorial Districts, as well as the five members-elect for the House of Representatives from Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun, and Oyo states.”
For the state constituencies, successful candidates will receive certificates in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna, Kano, Kogi, Niger, and Taraba.
However, INEC confirmed that the Kaura Namoda South State Constituency in Zamfara remained inconclusive.
Although voting was held, the Returning Officer was unable to declare a winner due to violence and emergencies affecting five polling units with 3,572 registered voters.
“The margin of lead in the election was 1,662 votes. In line with Section 24(3) and (4) of the Electoral Act, election must be held in the affected units to determine a winner,” Olumekun said. INEC fixed Thursday, August 21, 2025, for the supplementary poll.
Olumekun also confirmed that two re-run elections ordered by tribunals were successfully concluded in Enugu and Kano states. In Enugu South 1 State Constituency, Ngene Bright Emeka of the Labour Party was declared winner, while Ya’u Garba Gwarmai of the All Progressives Congress won in Ghari/Tsanyawa Constituency, Kano State.
Meanwhile, the by-elections have drawn mixed reactions from observers.
In Kano, the Centre for Strategic Conflict Management, an INEC-accredited observer group, called for the outright cancellation of results from the Bagwai/Shanono State Assembly election.
Its spokesman, Prof. Mohammad Dauda Mukhtar, told reporters in Kano that no credible election was held in Shanono due to voter intimidation, ballot manipulation, and violent disruptions allegedly carried out by armed thugs.
He claimed that voters in several wards were chased from polling units, while security agents were overwhelmed.
“Obviously, there were no elections held across Shanono. Voters were chased away, despite wanting to cast their votes,” he said, urging INEC to cancel the results.
In contrast, domestic observers from the Advocacy for Sustainable Development Initiative (ASDI) described the elections in Kaduna’s Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency and Basawa/Kewaye State Constituency as largely credible and transparent.
ASDI leader, Abdul Rasheed Shuaib, praised INEC for the early deployment of personnel and logistics, the effective use of the Biometric Voter Accreditation System, and the transparency provided by the INEC Result Viewing Portal. He also commended the professionalism of security agencies, although he noted that low voter turnout remained a significant challenge.
“Our observers reported that the elections reflected the will of the electorate. However, voter apathy underscores the need for enhanced civic education,” Shuaib said. The group further confirmed the arrest of an opposition party member in Kaduna over alleged vote-buying.
