SENATE SEATS IN UMAHI AND GEIDAM DECLARED VACANT BY AKPABIO

Babatunji Wusu –

On Wednesday, Godswill Akpabio, the President of the 10th Senate, announced that David Umahi and Ibrahim Geidam’s seats in the upper house of parliament were vacant.

After their appointments as ministers of works and police affairs, respectively, the Senate President made the decision.

Geidam represented Yobe East, and Umahi represented Ebonyi South.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will hold by-elections in these senate districts after the announcement.

Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC, announced on Monday that the commission is thinking of holding by-elections and holding new surveys in state and federal constituencies in February 2024.

He pointed out that political parties have to have new primaries within the legally stipulated time frame for the by-elections.

Yakubu said, “With regard to the by-elections, you may recall that in my recent address at the swearing-in of new resident electoral commissioners (RECs), which was combined with our last quarterly meeting with the RECs nationwide, I made a commitment that the commission will conduct elections to fill vacancies in the national and state assembly constituencies.

“The commission is looking at the first week of February 2024, that is, in just a little over one month, to conduct both the re-run and by-elections.”

Yakubu added that the management of INEC will meet to review preparations and announce a definite date, including the detailed timetable and schedule of activities for the elections.