Akpapio declares Nasarawa North and two other seats vacant

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, on Tuesday declared three senatorial seats vacant following the deaths of members of the 10th Senate.

The vacancies affect Enugu North Senatorial District, Nasarawa North Senatorial District, and Rivers South-East Senatorial District.

Akpabio made the announcement during plenary, noting that the development was necessitated by the demise of the affected lawmakers in line with constitutional provisions.

“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 said.

The Senate President urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence preparations for the by-elections to fill the vacant seats, emphasizing the need to restore full representation for the affected constituencies.

He also extended the Senate’s condolences to the families of the deceased, their constituents, and the leadership of the National Assembly.

The identities of the deceased senators were not immediately disclosed, but sources within the Senate confirmed that the three vacant seats cut across the three geopolitical zones of the North-Central, South-East, and South-South.

Following the declaration, Akpabio directed the Clerk of the Senate to issue formal communication to INEC to officially declare the seats vacant and trigger the process for the conduct of fresh elections within the constitutionally mandated period.