The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is conducting bye and re-run elections in 80 Local Government Areas (LGAs) across 26 states of the federation.
The elections are being conducted to fill vacancies in not less than three senatorial districts, 17 federal and 28 state constituencies spread across 80 local government areas, 575 registration areas/wards and 8,934 polling units involving 4,904,627 registered voters, out of which 4,613,291 PVCs have been collected, Channels news reports.
States where the elections are holding include Ebonyi, Yobe, Kebbi, Lagos, Ondo, Taraba, Benue, Borno, Kaduna, Plateau, Akwa Ibom, Anambra among others.
Voting commenced in some of the states the elections are taking place earlier in the day.
Ahead of the Yobe East Senatorial bye-election, there was partial vehicular movements in Damaturu the state capital as at 7.00am despite ban by the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun.
Many would be voters were trekking to reach their polling units before the commencement of the election proper at 8.30am.
8:30am: INEC ad- hoc staff arrive at the polling unit 045 Kakuri Hausa of Makera Constituency in Kaduna State ahead of the rerun election in five polling units in the constituency.
8:55am: Massive turn out of voters at Yabo B polling unit for the House of Representatives rerun election of Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency in Sokoto State.
9:03am: At Lamurde primary school, polling unit 007 Jalingo, Taraba State, election has also started with a large turn out of voters. Security agencies are also seen ensuring orderliness.
9:03am: Voting has commenced at polling unit 005, GGSS Barnawa in Kaduna South.
9:09am: A voter at polling unit 45 Kakuri Hausa expresses anger over the failure of the BVAS to capture him and other voters. He is calling on INEC to immediately replace the machine to enable the voters to cast their votes.
9:21am: The technical Hitches with the BVAS at polling unit 045 Kakuri Hausa have been rectified and accreditation and voting commenced.
9:26: Accreditation and voting ongoing at Zawan B polling unit of Jos South Local Government Area of Plateau State.
9:27: A chaotic situation at MAGINA S FAWA 011 polling unit in Yabo, Sokoto State on issues surrounding voting by proxy.
9:45am: Voting has begun in the three constituencies where bye election is going on in Kano State. In Rimi ward, Rimin Gado Local Aovernment Area of the state, voting begun earlier at 8:30am.
9:45am: Voting going on at the Bakaro Primary School Polling Unit 043 for the Bauchi Assembly constituency rerun election
9:53am: Channels TV reporter was attacked at Rimi Ward in Rimi Local government area and forced to delete all the visuals he took with his phone in the presence of police. One of the attackers pulled a knife and threatened to kill the reporter.
10:07am: There’s heavy deployment of security at Ward 11,unit 19 Ogbalanja, Saki West LGA, Oyo State to avoid any breach of peace in the area as voting progresses.
10:26: Yusuf Abubakar, a PDP agent alleges that politicians are buying votes at polling unit 009 Barnawa in Kaduna State.
10:27: Voting is underway at Itak unit 002, Itak Ward 11, Ikono Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State. Elections materials arrived late.
10:51am: Governor Mai Mala Buni of Yobe State votes at Bunigari, expresses satisfaction with the conduct of bye-election.
11:45am: Unlike in other areas, there is low turnout of voters in unit 047 Sabon Tasha in Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna Sate. The polling unit has a total of 730 registered voters, but only 28 voters have so far voted.
12:06pm: Police apprehend suspected thugs purportedly on their way to disrupt elections in Kunchi Local Government Area of Kano State. Kunchi/Tsanyawa LGA is one of the constituencies where the bye election for state assembly is being conducted
12:16pm: Voting has commenced at Bus Stop, Unit 4, Akpet Central in Biase Local Government Area of Cross River State. 1124 registered voters in the unit. Voter turnout is good.
Re-run elections and Bye-elections are taking place in Akamkpa, Biase, Obanliku and Yala, Local Government Areas of the state respectively.
12:22pm: Voting is on hold at Rockhaven polling unit 052 in Plateau State as voters refused to vote due to shortage of ballot papers. The unit has 1726 registered voters for the Senate and House of Representatives.
However, only 100 ballot papers for the House of Representatives were available while the ballot papers for the Senate are complete.
02:07pm: The bye-election is also going on smoothly in Kachia/Kagarko Federal Constituency in Kaduna State. The Court of Appeal had annulled the election of the federal constituency following the omission of the labour party logo in the February 2023 national assembly election. The constituency has a total of 22 wards scattered across the two local government areas.
2:18pm: INEC suspends rerun elections in Enugu, Kano, Akwa Ibom constituencies.
2:42pm: Voting Ends, Counting Begins At Polling Units in the Surulere 1 Federal Constituency in Lagos State.
2:55pm: Sorting is ongoing in Baban Mutum Primary School unit 016 at Shekal in the rerun election here is to fill the Bauchi Central Constituency seat in the state assembly.
2:57pm: Counting ongoing at the rerun election is Saki west LGA, Oyo State.
3:29pm: APC Claims 017 Polling Unit in Small London, Surulere 1 Constituency, Lagos State.
3:46: INEC ad-hoc staff held hostage at polling unit 052 in Rockhaven Zaria Road in Jos North Local Government Area of Plateau State.
Voters are complaining that there were not enough sensitive materials for the election which is responsible for their dissatisfaction.
3:47pm: Sorting of results begins at polling unit 009 Market Road Barnawa in Kaduna South LGA of Kaduna State.
