President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio on Tuesday, declared three Senate seats vacant following the deaths of the occupants of those seats.
The affected seats are those left behind by the late Senators Okey Ezea of the Enugu-North, Godiya Akwashiki of Nasarawa-North and Barinada Mpigi of Rivers South‑East, respectively.
“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 stated.
Citing the provisions of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended), Akpabio formally declared the seats vacant.
The Senate President subsequently directed the Electoral Commission to conduct by-elections to fill the vacancies within the timeframe stipulated by law.
“In line with the Constitution, vacancies have been created for midterm elections by the INEC,” he told the Senate plenary, formally invoking the provisions of the 1999 constitution (as amended).
He thereafter announced each seat separately: Enugu-North, then Nasarawa-North, then Rivers South‑East, as now vacant/empty.
The move has triggered fresh contests as political parties would soon start scrambling to nominate candidates to vie for the vacant senatorial seats at the upper chamber.
The Senate President said the polls would ensure that the constituents of the areas affected are not left voiceless for long.
