Violence, vote-buying and low voter participation marred the by-elections conducted on Saturday in some states to fill vacant senatorial and House of Representatives’ seats.
The vacancies arose from the death and resignation of former occupants of the positions, prompting the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the seats vacant.
According to INEC, a total of 3,553,659 registered voters were eligible to participate in the by-elections, distributed across 32 local government areas, 356 wards, and 6,987 polling units.
The by-elections were to hold in 12 states.
Ogun State
In Ogun State, the exercise took a dramatic turn when security operatives arrested two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party and two others suspected to be INEC officials.
The suspects, including the state PDP chairman, Abayomi Tella, were arrested with large sums of cash allegedly meant for vote-buying during the Remo Federal Constituency House of Representatives by-election.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that the suspects were picked up in the early hours in a hotel in Iperu-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of the state.
In a viral video, the suspected INEC officials, who identified themselves simply as Constance and Amina, were seen squatting as security agents questioned them.
The officer interrogating them said intelligence reports indicated that the INEC staff had earlier been contacted and given a large sum of money by party officials for vote buying during the by-election.
A voice accompanying the video said, “At the early hours of today, August 16, 2025, these people, including two INEC staff, were arrested. The INEC staff were posted here for the House of Representatives by-election for the Remo Federal constituency.
“Rather than doing the right thing, they were found hobnobbing with the politicians, and this huge amount of money was found on the INEC man who claimed to have been contacted by his constituency supervisor to go and meet the politician.
“They are already giving police useful information on this case. The INEC man said that the people who gave him the money were in a hotel at Iperu Remo, and these three people, Jonathan, Akeem Oyinlola, and Abayomi Tella, were met in the hotel.”
However, Tella, the state PDP Chairman in the video, instantly distanced himself from the purported money found with the INEC staff.
He said, “I don’t know anything about this money you’re talking about and I am still waiting for you (the police) to tell me why I am here.”
Confirming the arrest, the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, said the command had opened an investigation into the incident.
Ogunlowo disclosed this to Sunday PUNCH when asked to confirm the content of the video footage.
The CP said, “We are investigating the matter, that’s how much I can say for now. You may please call back later in the day for further information.”
However, the state PDP condemned the arrest of its chairman, which it described as intimidation and harassment backed by the security agencies to give the APC an upper hand in the election.
In a statement on Saturday, the Publicity Secretary of the party, Kayode Adebayo, said it was disheartening that the police and the DSS, who were entrusted with upholding law and order, had shown “clear complicity in these dastardly and cowardly acts.”
The party added that rather than apprehending the real perpetrators of the violence, security operatives turned their focus on harassing and victimising opposition parties.
Meanwhile, the state Commissioner of Police, Lanre Ogunlowo, in a statement signed by the state PPRO, Omolola Odutola, on Saturday, ordered that the suspects be transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department, Eleweran, for immediate discreet investigation.
“He further assures members of the public that monitoring of the election is ongoing and the command will keep the public abreast of the outcome of the investigation,” the statement added.
In some other parts of the state, there were reports of sporadic shooting, ballot snatching, and intimidation of the members of the opposition party by political thugs suspected to be loyalists of the ruling APC.
Sunday PUNCH gathered that the peaceful conduct of the by-election at Ward 5, Wesley Primary School, Iperu Remo, polling booth 05 and 011 was suddenly disrupted when thugs stormed the school, shot into the air and disappeared with the ballot boxes.
A source also informed our correspondent that some political thugs equally disrupted the voting process at polling booths 05 and 06, United Primary School, Ipara, Ward 07, shooting into the air while also intimidating the members of the PDP from voting.
The source said, “What we saw some minutes ago was that some young boys came to the premises of the primary school and started shooting. They were threatening and chasing the PDP members away from the polling booths.
“This is not good for our democracy. It simply means that people’s will cannot be freely expressed during an election.”
Our correspondent also learnt of a shooting in Isara, the headquarters of Remo North Local Government, as well as some parts of Sagamu.
Speaking with journalists after voting at polling booth 09, Ward 7, Ijagba, Sagamu, the PDP candidate for the election, Bola Oluwole, described the election as a charade.
Oluwole accused both Governor Dapo Abiodun and the ruling party of unleashing their thugs against members of the opposition party who came out in their hundreds of thousands to pick their choice for the seat of the Remo Federal constituency.
He said, “There was no by-election here in Ogun State. They beat people, and if you voted for PDP, they would tear it. The APC thugs are all here; they are even chasing the journalists away.”
But reacting, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Information and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, debunked the opposition party’s claim of using the security agencies to subvert the will of the people in the ongoing by-election.
Akinmade said, “The opposition party is only being mischievous and raising unsubstantiated allegations. They are cooking up all the lies. After all, they are jittery because their antics have been exposed.”
The secretary of the ruling party, Aderibigbe Tella, also denied the PDP’s allegation, saying the by-election across the three local governments of Remo Federal constituency had been peaceful.
Kaduna State
In Kaduna State, security operatives arrested a suspected vote-buyer with over N25m cash, allegedly meant to compromise the by-election taking place in parts of the state.
Sunday PUNCH learnt that the suspect, identified as Shehu Patangi, was picked up around 3:30am at a popular hotel along Turunku Road in the Kaduna metropolis by a combined team of the DSS, the police, and other sister agencies.
The spokesman for the state police command, Mansir Hassan, confirmed the arrest in a statement, adding that Patangi confessed during interrogation that the N25,963,000 recovered from him was meant for bribing eligible voters, and pleaded with the operatives for leniency.
But in his reaction to the arrest, the state PDP chairman, Edward Marshal, dismissed the allegation as “baseless,” insisting the seized cash was for the party’s field logistics and accredited party agents.
Speaking at a press conference in Kaduna, Marshal said the opposition party would not trade its name for illegality, stressing that the PDP in the state was anchored on integrity, equity, justice and accountability.
“Our goal as a party is to pursue equity, justice and service to humanity. Above all, we ensure good governance and accountability at all costs. That is why, in everything we do, we follow due process and respect the constitution.
“When they picked up our members, they also confiscated money meant for our agents’ allowances and operations on election day. We have structures across 169 wards, with polling agents, collation officers and supervisors statewide. If you pay each person an allowance—say N33,000—the total runs into tens of millions. That is the money they claimed was for vote‑buying,” he said.
Kano State
In Kano State, no fewer than 288 thugs were arrested with weapons at the four local government areas where the by-elections were held.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Abdullahi Haruna, confirmed the arrest of the suspects in a telephone interview with Sunday PUNCH.
“As of 1pm today (Saturday), 288 thugs were apprehended with weapons in the local government areas where the bye-election was ongoing,” Haruna said.
Haruna said the suspects were arrested for allegedly attempting to disrupt the election.
He added that the hoodlums were apprehended alongside their sponsors.
“Items recovered from the suspects included one pump-action gun, four locally made guns, a number of cutlasses, sticks, bow and arrow, knives, catapult, among other dangerous weapons,” Haruna said.
Meanwhile, hundreds of armed thugs were rounded up by security agents at Bagwai town as they attempted to disrupt the election into the state House of Assembly.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, confirmed to journalists that the thugs were moving into Bagwai with arms when security operatives arrested them.
Meanwhile, the APC has urged INEC to immediately cancel the Shanono/Bagwai constituency bye-election and the Ghari constituency rerun in Kano State.
In a statement issued on Saturday in Abuja, the APC National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, said the exercise was marred by violence, intimidation and disruption by armed thugs.
According to Morka, the elections could not be considered credible in the face of the widespread chaos that characterised voting in several polling units.
“The APC calls on INEC to immediately cancel the bye-elections for Shanono/Bagwai constituency and the Ghari constituency rerun election in Kano State due to widespread extreme violence and election disruption by armed thugs across several polling units in Shanono and Bagwai and Ghari constituencies,” Morka said.
He said the situation on ground was so dire that many voters were forced to abandon polling units, while security operatives deployed for the exercise were unable to contain the mayhem.
“Verifiable reports from Shanono and Bagwai Local Government Areas and Ghari constituency have voters fleeing polling areas, with deployed security personnel overwhelmed by the violence, making the prospects of a credible election impossible,” he added.
Morka warned that allowing the elections to proceed despite the violence would amount to undermining democratic values.
“Proceeding with the Shanono/Bagwai Kano State Constituency bye-election and Ghari rerun election in the atmosphere of utter brigandage and outright violent voter intimidation will be against democratic dictates of free, fair and peaceful election,” he said.
He further cautioned that endorsing such a flawed process would set a dangerous standard for Nigeria’s democratic journey.
“INEC must annul this process to safeguard the sanctity of our elections and ensure that the will of the people is not subverted by violence and intimidation,” Morka declared.
Enugu State
The Enugu South Urban Constituency by-election could not hold on Saturday despite a large turnout of voters at Uwani Secondary School, the designated polling venue.
Although INEC had set up election materials, no voter cast a ballot by 3:20pm, prompting officials to close the polling unit.
Earlier, INEC officials were unable to commence voting due to the unavailability of sensitive materials, including result sheets.
Tensions escalated when a group of women staged protests, alleging undue interference by politicians and insisting that the Labour Party candidate be disqualified over criminal conviction.
The state REC, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, decried the lack of progress and urged politicians to allow the process to conclude.
“This is the fourth time this by-election has been attempted without success. I am pleading with all stakeholders to behave responsibly and allow us to conclude this process. The people of Enugu deserve a fair election,” he said.
The PDP candidate, Sam Ngene, expressed frustration over the delay, citing the presence of high-profile officials as a disruption.
“If you look properly, there is strong mobilisation for this election. The problem is the infiltration of influential figures like the Minister of Innovation, Science and Technology, Uche Nnaji, and Senator Kevil Chukwu, who are interfering with the process.
“My opponent is behind bars. The constitution is clear: a convict cannot contest an election,” he said.
Defending his presence, Nnaji said he was acting in his capacity as the APC leader in Enugu State.
“I have a right to be here because I am the leader of my party in the state. The PDP cannot win this election. If the election is not concluded today, we will stay here until it is,” Nnaji said.
The LP Chairman in Enugu South, Chinwuba Ngwu, also criticised the lack of progress, saying, “We have been here since 7 a.m. There is no accreditation, no voting, and no information from INEC. We are in the dark.”
The seat has been vacant since the State Assembly Election Petition Tribunal nullified the March 18, 2023, election results and ordered a rerun in eight polling units, which together have 4,618 registered voters.
In the original poll, Bright Ngene was declared the winner with 5,862 votes, defeating runner-up Sam Ngene by over 2,000 votes.
INEC has yet to issue a formal statement regarding the inconclusive by-election, which marks the fourth failed attempt to conduct a vote in the constituency.
Anambra State
The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, on Saturday, cast his vote in the senatorial bye-election for the Anambra South Senatorial District at his polling unit, Ofiyi Square, 002, Isuofia, in the Aguata Local Government Area of the state.
While speaking to journalists after voting, Soludo hailed INEC for its preparedness to ensure the success of the election.
Soludo said, “I have just exercised my franchise. I am quite impressed with the conduct of the election. There is also an impressive turnout. Everybody is going about voting peacefully. Basically, everything is going well. No rancour, no fighting.”
The governor also accused the APC governorship candidate of beating the state Commissioner for Environment, Felix Odimegwu, with thugs in Ezinifite in the Nnewi South Local Government Area.
“Why would someone leave his polling unit to other people’s polling unit? He should let the will of the people prevail,” he added.
Sunday PUNCH observed that the turnout in the area was impressive, while security officials could be seen present at strategic locations in order to ensure a peaceful election.
Officials of the Nigerian Army, police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and FRSC mounted the major roads to enforce the restriction order on movement.
The by-election was conducted for the seat of the Anambra South Senatorial district, left vacant as a result of the death of Senator Ifeanyi Ubah in 2024.
