INEC TO PRESENT CERTIFICATES OF RETURN TO WINNERS OF BY-ELECTIONS AND COURT-ORDERED RERUNS AUGUST 21-22

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By Aishat Momoh. O.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that Certificates of Return will be presented to candidates who emerged victorious in the 16 by-elections and two court-ordered re-run elections conducted nationwide on Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The announcement was made on Tuesday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.

According to INEC, the elections covered two senatorial districts, five federal constituencies, and nine state assembly constituencies. The exercise was conducted in line with Section 72(1) of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The presentation ceremony for senators-elect and members-elect of the House of Representatives will take place at INEC’s National Headquarters in Abuja on Thursday, August 21, 2025, at 3:00 p.m.

Certificates will be issued to the senators-elect for Anambra South and Edo Central Senatorial Districts, alongside members-elect for Ovie North East and Ovie South West Federal Constituencies (Edo State), Babura/Garki (Jigawa State), Chikun/Kajuru (Kaduna State), Ikenne/Shagamu/Remo North (Ogun State), and Ibadan North (Oyo State).

For the state Houses of Assembly, certificates will be presented by Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the state level on Friday, August 22, 2025, at 11:00 a.m. Beneficiaries include members-elect from Ganye (Adamawa), Onitsha North 1 (Anambra), Basawa and Zaria/Kewaye (Kaduna), Bagwai/Shanono and Ghari/Tsanyawa (Kano), Okura (Kogi), Munya (Niger), and Karim Lamido 1 (Taraba) constituencies.

However, the Kaura Namoda South State Constituency election in Zamfara State was declared inconclusive due to violent disruptions in five polling units. Although voting was conducted, the Returning Officer withheld a declaration as the affected units with 3,572 registered voters and 3,265 collected PVCs could still affect the outcome. With a margin of lead of 1,662 votes, INEC has scheduled a supplementary poll in the five affected units for Thursday, August 21, 2025.

In the court-ordered reruns, INEC confirmed that elections previously disrupted by violence were successfully concluded. Ngene Bright Emeka of the Labour Party was declared winner for the Enugu South 1 State Constituency, while Ya’u Garba Gwarmai of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerged victorious in the Ghari/Tsanyawa State Constituency of Kano State.

Olumekun assured that the Commission remained committed to ensuring credible, free, and fair electoral processes across all constituencies.