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With only three days remaining before the September 19, 2026 bye-elections, questions have emerged over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s publication of the final candidate information for the five legislative contests scheduled across Gombe, Kano, Bauchi and Delta states.
INEC’s timetable fixed September 8 for the publication of the final list of nominated candidates, with campaigns beginning September 9 and ending at 11:59 p.m. on September 17. The elections are scheduled for Saturday, September 19.
The affected elections cover the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency in Gombe State; Dawakin Kudu State Constituency in Kano; Sakwa and Disina State Constituencies in Bauchi; and Udu State Constituency in Delta State.
Concerns were raised on Wednesday after observers said a comprehensive final candidate list for the bye-elections could not be readily located on INEC’s national website despite the September 8 date contained in the commission’s timetable. Data analyst Mundus publicly questioned the situation, describing timely publication of candidate information as a basic part of election administration.
However, there is an important qualification. Reports indicate that candidate information has been released at least at the state level in some of the affected constituencies. For example, INEC’s Gombe office was reported on September 10 to have cleared five candidates for the Gombe/Kwami/Funakaye Federal Constituency contest.
The five reported Gombe candidates are Yaya Alfa Muhammed of the APP, Kallamu Usman Mai’jama’a of the APC, Gaddafi Haruna of the APM, Maigari Jungudo of the LP and Abdulkarim Abdulmujib Kwami of the NDP.
The issue, therefore, is more precisely whether INEC has made the complete final candidate information for all five contests publicly and readily accessible through its expected national channels, rather than whether no candidate information has been released anywhere.
INEC’s own timetable makes publication significant because voters are expected to know the officially cleared candidates before the campaign period concludes. In Bauchi, for example, the Resident Electoral Commissioner had publicly stated that Form EC9 and the final candidate list would be published on September 8.
Preparations for the elections have nevertheless continued. INEC opened media accreditation for coverage of the five contests, while its official polling-agent platform confirms that the September bye-elections cover Gombe, Bauchi, Delta and Kano, with polling fixed for September 19.
The situation raises a straightforward transparency question ahead of polling day: where can voters in all five constituencies access the complete, authoritative final list of candidates INEC cleared to appear on their ballots?
With voting approaching, publishing that information prominently and in an easily accessible form would allow voters, political parties, observers and journalists to independently verify precisely who is contesting each vacant seat.
