The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to present certificates of return to the winners of the recently concluded rerun and bye-elections. This announcement was made by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, in a statement released on Tuesday.
The legislative by-elections and reruns took place on February 3, 2024, in 26 states. However, re-run elections in 20 polling units in Akwa-Ibom, Kano, and Enugu states were suspended due to irregularities.
The statement revealed that seven political parties secured seats in both the National and State Houses of Assembly. These parties include the Action Democratic Party, All Progressives Congress, All Progressives Grand Alliance, Labour Party, New Nigeria Peoples Party, Peoples Democratic Party, and the Young Progressive Party.
Certificates of return will be presented to the newly elected federal lawmakers, consisting of three Senators and 15 members of the House of Representatives. The presentation ceremony is scheduled for Wednesday, February 7, 2024, at 2 pm at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.
For state lawmakers-elect, the certificates of return will be presented by the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) in the respective states where the bye-elections or re-run elections occurred. The RECs will coordinate these presentations, and elected members are advised to liaise with the RECs for further details. The commission aims to complete these presentations by the end of the week.
