The major political parties in the country, on Wednesday, insisted that the Independent National Electoral Commission must continue to conduct bye-elections to fill legislative seats that become vacant on account of resignation or deaths.
In spite of INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu’s lamentation on Wednesday that bye-elections drain INEC resources, the Labour Party and the New Nigeria People’s Party maintained that INEC remained best suited to conduct bye-elections.
The LP and the NNPP rejected the proposition by popular Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Mr Femi Falana, that INEC should stop conducting bye-elections and allow parties to internally decide who replaces an elected officer who resigns or dies in office.
While the All Progressives Congress called for wider consultations, the Peoples Democratic Party agreed with Falana.
Falana had argued that since the votes scored during elections belong to political parties, the replacement of elected candidates as a result of death or resignation should not call for a by-election.
Speaking during a consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja on Wednesday, Yakubu expressed concern over the financial and logistical burden posed by the increasing number of by-elections in the country.
He called for legislative reforms to adopt more cost-effective methods of filling vacancies in the national and state Assemblies.
He said,” Over the last one and a half years since the inauguration of the current national and state Assemblies in June 2023, vacancies have occurred in 23 constituencies as a result of the death of serving members or their voluntary resignation for executive positions at the federal, state and even local government levels as ministers, commissioners, chairman of a local government and even board appointment.
“While the commission has conducted nine bye-elections early last year, 14 more vacancies have occurred since then. They are unpredictable, unbudgeted and difficult to plan in advance. Worse, some bye-elections lead to more bye-elections.
“Consequently, one bye-election led to three bye-elections. Not only are these bye-elections costly, they also divert the commission’s attention from its other extensive electoral responsibilities,” Yakubu lamented.
The INEC chairman emphasised the need for legislative changes, noting that more efficient systems are in place in other countries to fill such vacancies without resorting to frequent elections.
He said the commission had consistently advocated this reform over the past nine years and recently reiterated the call during its 2025 budget defence before the National Assembly.
“We are glad that more Nigerians are now joining the advocacy. We hope that working together, we will continue to reform and improve our electoral process,” Yakubu said.
Speaking with The PUNCH on the way forward on Wednesday, the National Publicity Secretary of the Labour Party, Obiora Ifoh, disagreed with Falana’s proposition that parties should replace resigned or dead elected officers without involving INEC.
Ifoh urged INEC and stakeholders to stick to the global best practice.
He said, “In most of the democracies when there are vacancies, bye-elections are conducted, and offices are replaced. The truth of the matter is that INEC does not need to spend a humongous amount of money to conduct bye-elections because most of the essential materials are already with them.
“I am talking about things like card readers, iRev and the rest of them. So, I don’t think there should be any shortcut to conducting bye-elections.
“You also know that the electorate who vote for political parties have an interest in the candidates who emerge victorious for the offices. But when you allow political parties to fill in or present just anybody, it is possible they will fill in a representative that does not resonate with the people at the grassroots.
“In that case, the position might go to the highest bidder instead of a proper representation. Democracy is all about representing the people. People must have a say in who stands in for them.”
Similarly, the National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party, Ladipo Johnson, disagreed with Falana’s proposition, saying, “I don’t think it is proper for parties to fill vacant positions. It is something that must be looked at critically. What is the difference between bye-elections and regular elections that parties will have to decide?”
But the PDP Deputy Publicity Secretary, Ibrahim Abdullahi, supported Falana’s recommendation, emphasising that parties should be permitted to fill vacant positions.
He stated, “For me, I think political parties should be allowed to fill vacant positions. When this is permitted by our laws, it will save INEC from some expenses.”
However, the National Publicity Director of the APC, Bala Ibrahim, called for wider consultations on the way forward.
He said, “Under democracy, things should be done according to the wishes of the majority. This issue should be thrown for wider deliberation and debate. If INEC. as the electoral umpire is complaining about the cost of conducting such an election and there are people making suggestions that parties should be empowered to fill the vacancies.
“I think the matter should be thrown to a wider consultation so that at the end of the day, the decision of the majority will carry the day. I think the challenge is not just on parties to fill in the vacancies or go for bye-elections. It is for them and INEC to do all it takes to get a winner in the first round, even if it means making the conditions more stringent.
“In the event of an election being conducted and there is no clear-cut winner, there should be alternatives like the second, third and fourth. That way the parties can brace up to ensure that they emerge victorious. Perhaps, we can be able to cut the cost of rerun and possibly all the shenanigans that will follow as a result of that.
