.INEC fixes date for by-elections in Kano, 3 other states
Blessing Taiwo
The Lagos State All Progressives Congress (APC), on Tuesday, held interfaith prayers to herald campaign mobilisation for its candidates ahead 2027 elections.
Members and leaders of Lagos APC gathered at the Mobolaji Johnson Sports Arena, Onikan to pray for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and election of Dr Obafemi Hamzat, Lagos Deputy Governor and APC Governorship candidate for the state.
They offered prayers for the success of the party at all levels of elections and peaceful conduct of the general elections.
Sanwo-Olu, who led members of the state executive council to the event, stressed the importance of prayers to the success of every ambition.
He expressed optimism that the APC would emerge victorious in the forthcoming elections.
The governor said that prayers remained an important foundation for the party as it prepared for another electoral period.
He urged APC members to remain united and committed to the ideals of the party.
“Prayer is important in every ambition that we pursue in life. We have come together as a family to commit our aspirations and the forthcoming elections into the hands of God.
“We are confident that with our unity, hard work and the grace of God, the APC will achieve victory at all levels and continue to deliver good governance to the people,” he said.
Speaking, Hamzat urged political parties and their supporters to conduct their campaigns responsibly and ensure that the electoral process would be devoid of violence, bloodshed and any acts capable of threatening peace.
“We are praying for a peaceful electioneering season, without bloodshed, violence or rancour.
“Elections should be about ideas, programmes and opportunity for the people to choose their leaders freely,” he said.
The governorship candidate noted that his party would continue to prioritise the welfare of Lagos residents.
The Director-General of the Hamzat Campaign Organisation, Sen. Musiliu Obanikoro, urged APC members to be steadfast in prayers and committed to the electioneering.
Obanikoro said that continuity of government policies and programmes would be essential to achieving rapid and sustainable development in Lagos and Nigeria at large.
“We must remain steadfast in prayers and continue to work together as one family until victory is achieved for all our candidates.
“The progress recorded in Lagos and the entire country must be sustained and built upon for the benefit of the people,” he said.
The Muslim, Christian and traditional religious leaders at the event offered prayers for the APC candidates, Lagos State and the entire Nigeria.
Based on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) schedule, governorship election campaigns will commence on Wednesday.
Meanwhile, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced Saturday, September 19, 2026, as the date for five by-elections across four states.
The affected states are Kano, Gombe, Bauchi and Delta. The elections will fill one vacant seat in the House of Representatives and four vacant positions in state Houses of Assembly.
INEC’s current election schedule confirms September 19 as the polling date for the five constituencies.
The development was disclosed on Tuesday by Tunde Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.
Oketola said the elections would cover the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State, while four state constituencies would also go to the polls.
In Bauchi State, voters in the Disina and Sakwa State Constituencies will elect representatives. The Udu State Constituency in Delta State is also scheduled for a fresh election.
Kano State will hold the fifth election in the Dawakin Kudu State Constituency.
The exercise will therefore see voters in the four states choosing new lawmakers to occupy seats that became vacant before the end of the current legislative cycle.
The Gombe election is the only federal constituency contest among the five elections. The remaining four are state-level contests.
INEC has already listed the five elections on its official schedule as part of the upcoming electoral activities for 2026.
The commission has also created election-specific arrangements for the affected constituencies.
The September 19 exercise will come as political parties intensify preparations to field candidates for the vacant seats.
Parties participating in the elections are expected to work within the timetable released by the electoral commission.
INEC has repeatedly required political parties and candidates to comply with its deadlines during electoral exercises.
For the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency, the vacancy followed the death of Hon. Yaya Bauchi Tongo, who represented the constituency in the House of Representatives.
INEC subsequently commenced the process for filling the vacant seat. The constituency covers three local government areas and has 31 registration areas and 903 polling units.
INEC had earlier outlined stages for the Gombe election, including the publication of the notice of election, political party primaries, nomination of candidates and the publication of the final list of candidates.
The commission had also scheduled the campaign period ahead of the September 19 poll, with political parties expected to conclude their campaigns before election day.
The other four elections will take place at the state level.
In Bauchi, the Disina and Sakwa constituencies will produce new representatives.
Delta voters in Udu State Constituency will also participate, while residents of Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano will vote for a new lawmaker.
INEC has also begun preparations for political party polling agents ahead of the exercise.
Its polling-agent platform identifies the September 2026 elections as covering Gombe, Bauchi, Delta and Kano and provides for the electronic submission of polling-agent information by political parties.
The commission said the electronic platform is specifically meant for political parties to upload their polling-agent details.
It also stated that the system is separate from the manual process used in some previous elections.
The platform is scheduled to close at midnight on Thursday, September 10, giving parties a deadline to complete the required submissions before the election.
The September 19 elections will also provide another opportunity for INEC to test its preparations ahead of the 2027 electoral calendar.
According to the commission’s published schedule, the next major national elections are expected to begin with the presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027. Governorship and state House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
For the immediate exercise, however, attention will remain on the five constituencies where voters are expected to decide who will occupy the vacant seats.
INEC has urged political parties and other participants in the electoral process to follow the rules guiding the elections.
For a better society
_______________________________
Follow us across our platforms:
Instagram – https://www.instagram.com/championnewsonline/
Facebook – https://web.facebook.com/championnewsonline
LinkedIn – https://www.linkedin.com/company/champion-newspapers-limited/
https://x.com/championnewsng/
You can also like and comment on our YouTube videos.
https://youtu.be/QIBfD1tT80w?si=R4Qf3so2LxYu3GC2
