INEC Sets September 19 for Five By-Elections Across Four States, Names Constituencies

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, September 19, 2026, for the conduct of five legislative by-elections across four states of Nigeria.

The elections will take place in Gombe, Bauchi, Delta and Kano states, with voters expected to elect representatives to fill vacant legislative seats. INEC’s official election schedule also lists the five constituencies for the September 19 exercise.

The development was disclosed by Tunde Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja on Tuesday. According to him, the exercise comprises one federal constituency and four state constituencies.

In Gombe State, the election will be conducted in the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency, which became vacant following the death of its representative in the House of Representatives, Yaya Bauchi Tongo. The lawmaker died in June after a brief illness, prompting the vacancy in the federal constituency.

Bauchi State will conduct two separate state constituency elections, covering Disina State Constituency in Shira Local Government Area and Sakwa State Constituency in Zaki Local Government Area. INEC had earlier commenced preparations for the elections, including engagements with political parties and electoral security stakeholders.

The Disina and Sakwa contests arose from separate vacancies. Reports indicate that the Sakwa seat became vacant following the death of its former occupant, while the lawmaker representing Disina resigned to pursue a chairmanship position.

In Delta State, voters in the Udu State Constituency will also head to the polls to elect a new member of the State House of Assembly. The constituency is among those officially listed by INEC for the September 19 by-election.

Kano State will complete the five-election schedule with the Dawakin Kudu State Constituency by-election. INEC had previously announced September 19 as the polling date for the constituency, which is now included in the commission’s consolidated schedule for the four-state exercise.

The September 19 exercise therefore represents a significant electoral test ahead of the broader 2027 general elections, as political parties seek to secure the affected legislative seats and demonstrate their strength among voters in the constituencies.

INEC is expected to continue coordinating with political parties, security agencies, candidates and other stakeholders as preparations intensify. The commission has also published election-specific information for the affected constituencies as part of its preparations for the polls.

With five seats across four states going to the ballot on the same day, attention will now turn to the campaigns, candidates, voter mobilisation and security arrangements in the affected constituencies. The outcome could provide an early indication of the political dynamics taking shape ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 electoral season.