The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the five legislative by-elections held across Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states, with the All Progressives Congress (APC) winning four seats while the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) secured one.
Politics Nigeria reports that the elections, conducted on Saturday, September 19, 2026, comprised one federal constituency and four state constituencies.
In Gombe State, APC candidate Kallamu Usman MaiJama’a won the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency by-election with 41,121 votes.
He was followed by the Labour Party candidate, who polled 3,553 votes, while the APM recorded 872 votes.
In Kano State, APC candidate Husseini Datti emerged victorious in the Dawakin Kudu State Constituency election after securing 22,890 votes.
The Peoples Redemption Party (PRP) polled 270 votes, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) received 108 votes.
The APC also secured the Udu State Constituency seat in Delta State, where its candidate, Okolosi Ator, won with 8,724 votes.
His closest challenger, the PDP candidate, scored 214 votes.
The result followed an early lead recorded by the APC during the collation of results from polling units across the constituency.
At Unit 8, Iyeghe Town Hall, Ward 10, Aladja, the APC polled 105 votes, while the PDP and APM recorded no votes.
At Unit 35, IBO, Orhuwhorun, Ward 9, Old Egini Road, the APC secured 50 votes, while at Odjikpata Unit, also in Orhuwhorun, the party recorded 605 votes against four for the PDP and three for the APM.
The major contenders in the Udu election were Okolosi of the APC and George Orugbo of the PDP.
The Udu seat became vacant following the defection of its former occupant, Collins Egbetamah, from the APC to the Nigeria Democratic Congress.
In Bauchi State, the APC won one of the two state constituencies contested.
Its candidate, Yakubu Ali, defeated his rivals in the Disina State Constituency by-election with 5,846 votes. The APM polled 5,225 votes, while the PRP recorded 3,701.
The APM, however, secured the Sakwa State Constituency seat in Zaki Local Government Area, with its candidate, Adamu Yakubu, polling 8,515 votes.
The APC came second with 3,771 votes, followed by the PDP with 2,076 and the PRP with 727 votes.
The elections were generally peaceful in areas visited, while INEC officials supervised voting, sorting and collation of results.
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, described the by-elections as important tests of the commission’s preparedness for the 2027 general elections.
In a statement signed by his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, Amupitan said the elections provided the commission with an opportunity to assess its electoral infrastructure and operational readiness across multiple states.
He said no election should be regarded as trivial or routine, stressing that every off-cycle poll provides lessons for improving the conduct of subsequent elections.
“These four by-elections provide indispensable operational lessons for the Commission as we systematically chart our roadmap toward the 2027 General Election,” he said.
Amupitan added that the commission would use the exercises to audit its logistics framework, test its technological deployment and assess the readiness of its field personnel.
He also said operational challenges identified before Saturday’s polls were promptly addressed through the commission’s Situation Room.
“Our primary mandate in the Situation Room is monitoring and proactive crisis resolution,” he said, adding that INEC remained committed to improving its processes and strengthening public confidence in elections.
The INEC chairman further commended the technical team and other personnel who monitored the multi-state elections, saying their efforts enabled the commission to assess field performance and monitor the exercise across the affected constituencies.
