The Senate has formally declared the senatorial seats for Edo Central and Anambra South as vacant, prompting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise by-elections to fill these positions.
During a plenary session on Tuesday, Senate President Godswill Akpabio made the announcement, revealing that the Edo Central seat has been unoccupied since Monday Okpebholo was sworn in as the Governor of Edo State in December 2024. Okpebholo, elected as governor, was required to relinquish his Senate seat, leaving the district without representation.
In a similar vein, the Anambra South Senatorial seat has been vacant since the unfortunate passing of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in July 2024. Since his demise, the district has lacked a representative in the Senate.
In January 2025, INEC indicated that it could not initiate a by-election for Anambra South until it received an official request from the Senate. This was reiterated by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Anambra, Elizabeth Agu, during a stakeholders’ meeting convened by the International Press Centre (IPC) in Awka, the state capital.
With both senatorial districts currently lacking representation in the upper legislative chamber, Akpabio emphasised the urgency for INEC to proceed with the elections without any further delays. He highlighted that the affected constituencies deserve to have their voices heard in the Senate, and that these vacancies should be filled at the earliest opportunity.
