President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, declared three senatorial seats vacant following the deaths of lawmakers serving in the 10th National Assembly and directed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to organise by-elections to fill the positions.
The vacant Senate seats are in Enugu North Senatorial District, Enugu State; Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Nasarawa State; and Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Rivers State.
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Akpabio announced the vacancies during plenary, explaining that the deaths of the affected lawmakers had created the need for fresh elections in accordance with the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999, as amended.
“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,” he said.
The Senate President subsequently declared the affected seats vacant, beginning with Enugu North Senatorial District.
“I hereby declare vacant Enugu North Senatorial District. The seat is hereby declared vacant,” Akpabio said.
He also formally declared vacant the seats representing Nasarawa North and Rivers South-East Senatorial Districts.
Following the declarations, Akpabio directed INEC to conduct fresh polls to elect representatives for the three districts within the period stipulated by law.
“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,” he said.
The directive sets the stage for by-elections in the three senatorial districts, with eligible voters expected to elect new representatives to the upper chamber of the National Assembly.
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The elections will provide an opportunity for the affected districts to restore representation in the Senate, while political parties will be expected to prepare candidates for the forthcoming contests.
Peculiar Adirika is a journalist and contributor to Freelanews.com, covering news, business, and public affairs.
