Akpabio said that the declaration of vacancies in their seats was in accordance with section 68, sub-section (1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
By Jeffrey Agbo
Senate President Godswill Akpabio on Wednesday declared vacant the seats of two ex-senators David Umahi (Ebonyi-South) and Ibrahim Giadam (Yobe-East).
Akpabio said that the declaration of vacancies in their seats was in accordance with section 68, sub-section (1)(d) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
Umahi and Geidam were both inaugurated as members of the 10th National Assembly in June but they resigned in August after President Bola Tinubu appointed them as members of his cabinet.
While Umahi is the minister of works, Geidam is the minister of police affairs. Conversely, ex-governor of Plateau State, Simon Lalong, recently resigned as labour minister to return to the Senate after a court verdict affirmed him the Senator for Plateau South.
Akpabio called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to commence the process of bye-elections in the two senatorial districts immediately.
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Meanwhile, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu on Monday said re-run and bye-elections might be held across the country next February.
“With regard to the bye-elections, you may recall that in my recent address at the swearing-in of new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) which was combined with our last quarterly meeting with the RECs nationwide, I made a commitment that the commission will conduct elections to fill vacancies in the National and State Assembly constituencies.
“The Commission is looking at the first week of February 2024; in just a little over one month to conduct both the re-run and bye-elections,” Yakubu said.
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