The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced scheduling a supplementary election in Taraba State and a fresh re-run election in Enugu State, both set to take place on Wednesday, February 14. The disclosure was made by Sam Olumekun, the INEC National Commissioner overseeing the Information and Voter Education Committee, in a statement released on Tuesday night in Abuja.
The bye-elections held last Saturday were intended to fill vacant seats in nine constituencies, left empty due to the demise or resignation of members elected during the 2023 General Election in both the National and State Houses of Assembly. Furthermore, re-run elections were conducted in 39 constituencies as mandated by the Election Petition Appeal Tribunals.
While the bye-elections were successfully concluded in all designated constituencies, an exception was noted in the Jalingo/Yorro/Zing Federal Constituency. The final declaration in this area was delayed due to overvoting in certain Polling Units, impacting the lead margin between the candidates with the most votes.
About the re-run elections, disruptions occurred at two Polling Units in the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency of Akwa Ibom State and across all Polling Units in the Enugu South State Constituency of Enugu State and Kunchi/Tsanyawa State Constituency of Kano State. The disruptions were attributed to violence, thuggery, and the hijacking of election materials, as highlighted by Olumekun.
The Commission had previously suspended the re-run elections in these areas in accordance with Section 24(3) of the Electoral Act 2022. Following additional reports from officials in the affected states, the Commission supported the Returning Officer’s decision to announce results in the Ikono/Ini Federal Constituency, citing that the number of registered voters in the two Polling Units did not significantly affect the overall outcome of the election.
As a resolution, INEC has decided to conduct a supplementary election in Taraba State and a new re-run election in Enugu State, both slated for Wednesday, February 14, 2024. However, due to security concerns, the election in the Kunchi/Tsanyawa State Constituency will be postponed later. This decision comes after further discussions with security agencies and stakeholders.
Olumekun urged all eligible voters and stakeholders in the impacted polling units in Taraba and Enugu States to participate actively and peacefully in the upcoming elections and support their preferred candidates. The Commission emphasizes the importance of a secure and transparent electoral process, fostering confidence in the democratic system.
