Akpabio Declares Three Senate Seats Vacant, INEC to Conduct Bye-Elections Within 30 Days
Senate President Godswill Akpabio has formally declared three senatorial seats in the 10th Senate vacant following the deaths of the lawmakers who previously occupied them.
The announcement was made during Tuesday’s plenary, where Akpabio explained that the development stemmed from the passing of members representing the affected constituencies, a situation that now necessitates constitutional action.
According to details obtained by PulseNets, the declaration is in line with the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended), which provides clear guidelines for filling legislative vacancies arising midterm.
“Due to the tragedies that have befallen the 10th Senate, vacancies have been created for midterm elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to fill the seats left vacant by our colleagues,” he said.
PulseNets learnt that the affected senatorial districts include:
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Enugu North Senatorial District, Enugu State
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Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Nasarawa State
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Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Rivers State
Further information obtained by PulseNets indicates that the Independent National Electoral Commission is constitutionally required to conduct bye-elections to fill the vacant seats.
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Akpabio noted that the electoral body is expected to carry out the elections within the timeframe stipulated by law, which is approximately 30 days from the date of the official declaration.
