The elections will cover one federal constituency and four State House of Assembly constituencies in Gombe, Bauchi, Delta and Kano states.
In Gombe State, voters in the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency will elect a new representative to the House of Representatives. Bauchi State will hold elections in the Disina and Sakwa State Constituencies, while the Udu State Constituency in Delta and Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano will also go to the polls.
INEC has separately listed all four state-level elections and the Gombe federal constituency contest on its official election platforms for September 19, confirming that the polls form part of the commission's scheduled 2026 electoral activities.
The vacancies arose under different circumstances. In Gombe, the federal seat became vacant following the death of former representative Yaya Bauchi Tongo in June 2026. In Bauchi, the Sakwa seat became vacant following the death of its former lawmaker, while the Disina seat became vacant after its representative resigned to pursue a chairmanship position. The Udu seat in Delta was declared vacant following the defection of its former occupant, Collins Egbetamah, from the All Progressives Congress to the Nigeria Democratic Congress, according to reports on the constituencies.
The Kano contest will take place in Dawakin Kudu State Constituency, completing the four-state spread of the September 19 exercise.
The commission has also been making preparations for the elections through its online systems. INEC's polling-agent platform was opened for political parties participating in the Gombe, Bauchi, Delta and Kano contests, while an official observer-group portal was also established for organisations seeking accreditation to observe the elections.
The by-elections come less than five months before Nigeria's next general election cycle. INEC's current timetable places the presidential and National Assembly elections on January 16, 2027, followed by governorship and State House of Assembly elections on February 6, 2027.
Beyond filling the vacant seats, the September polls will provide another test of INEC's preparations ahead of the 2027 elections. The commission has been reviewing its regulations and procedures under the Electoral Act 2026, including measures concerning political-party compliance, candidate nomination, election administration and dispute prevention.
For voters in the affected constituencies, however, the immediate issue is more straightforward: choosing representatives who will complete the remaining legislative terms of the vacant seats. The credibility of the exercise will depend not only on INEC's administration but also on the conduct of political parties, candidates, security agencies and voters before, during and after polling.
With the date now fixed, attention will increasingly shift to the candidates, campaign activities, voter mobilisation and security arrangements in the five constituencies as September 19 approaches.
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