The All Progressives Congress (APC) has won four out of five by-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over the weekend. The by-elections were held to fill one federal legislative seat and four state assembly seats in Gombe, Kano, Delta, and Bauchi states. The APC secured legislative seats in Gombe, Kano, Delta, and Bauchi states, while the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) claimed a single state assembly seat in Bauchi.
In Gombe State, APC candidate Kallamu MaiJama’a won the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye federal constituency in a landslide, securing 41,121 votes and easily defeating the Labour Party and the APM. Meanwhile, in Kano, APC flagbearer Husseini Datti emerged victorious in the Dawakin Kudu state constituency, polling 22,890 votes to defeat the Peoples Redemption Party and the Peoples Democratic Party. The elections were largely peaceful with smooth logistics, but voter turnout was noticeably low in Gombe and Kano.
In Delta State, Okolosi Ator continued the ruling party’s winning streak by securing the Udu state constituency with 8,724 votes against the PDP’s 214. The APC also won the Disina constituency in Bauchi State, with Yakubu Ali securing a narrow victory with 5,846 votes, closely followed by the APM with 5,225. However, technical issues with the BVAS machines briefly slowed down voting in Delta.
The APM scored a major upset in the Sakwa state constituency within Zaki Local Government Area of Bauchi State. APM candidate Adamu Yakubu comfortably won the seat, polling 8,515 votes to defeat his closest APC rival, who managed just 3,771 votes. Despite the generally peaceful atmosphere across the states, the Bauchi State Police Command made a major security bust during the polls, arresting 47 suspects across several polling units in Shira LGA.
The suspects were heavily armed with guns, cutlasses, and sticks while posing as members of a state-owned security outfit. INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan actively monitored the polls from the commission’s National Situation Room in Abuja. He described the weekend’s by-elections as crucial operational tests ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan stressed that INEC will not treat any by-election as routine, promising that the commission will strictly use the field data and logistical experiences from these polls to fix administrative gaps, stress-test technological deployment, and better prepare the nation for the broader challenges of 2027. The by-elections were a test of the commission's preparedness for the upcoming general elections.
The APC's dominance in the by-elections is seen as a boost to the party's chances in the 2027 general elections. The party's victories in key states such as Gombe, Kano, and Delta will likely give them an edge in the upcoming polls. The APM's victory in Bauchi State, however, shows that the party is still a force to be reckoned with in the state's politics.
Key points
- APC won four out of five by-elections in Nigeria
- APM secured one seat in Bauchi State
- INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan monitored the polls from Abuja
