The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio officially declared three senatorial seats vacant on Tuesday following the passing of several members of the 10th Senate.
The announcement affects the districts of Enugu North, Nasarawa North, and Rivers South-East.
Addressing the chamber during plenary, Akpabio explained that the action was a necessary constitutional step due to the loss of their colleagues.
He stated, “Due to the tragedies that have befallen the 10th Senate, vacancies have been created for midterm elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure that we fill the vacancies created by the demise of our colleagues.”
Invoking the 1999 Constitution, Akpabio formalized the status of the affected districts to clear the way for new representation.
During the proceedings, he explicitly noted, “I hereby declare vacant Enugu North Senatorial District. The seat is hereby declared vacant,” before applying the same declaration to the seats for Nasarawa North and Rivers South-East.
Following the declaration, the Senate President issued a directive to the Independent National Electoral Commission to organize by-elections within the legally required period.
He mandated the commission to act quickly, stating, “In line with the provisions of our Constitution, the Independent National Electoral Commission is accordingly mandated to conduct fresh polls to fill these vacant senatorial seats in the affected states within the time specified in the Constitution, which is about 30 days from this declaration.”
