Senate declares two seats vacant, orders INEC to conduct by-election
The Senate has officially declared the Edo Central and Anambra South Senatorial seats vacant and has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct by-elections to fill them.
During plenary on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement, stating that the Edo Central seat has remained unoccupied since Monday Okpebholo was sworn in as Governor of Edo State in December 2024.
Okpebholo, who was elected as governor, had to vacate his Senate position, leaving the district without representation.
Similarly, the Anambra South Senatorial seat has been vacant since the passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in July 2024.
Since his death, the district has been without a representative in the Senate.
In January 2025, INEC had stated that it could not proceed with a by-election for Anambra South until it received an official request from the Senate.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Anambra, Elizabeth Agu, also reaffirmed this during a stakeholders’ meeting organized by the International Press Centre (IPC) in Awka, the state capital.
With the two senatorial districts currently unrepresented in the upper legislative chamber, Akpabio stressed the need for INEC to conduct the elections without further delay.
He pointed out that the affected constituencies deserve to have their voices heard in the Senate, and the vacancies should be filled as soon as possible.
