The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the inclusion of Social Democratic Party (SDP) candidates in the bye-elections scheduled to hold across 12 states on Saturday, 16 August 2025.
This decision followed a Federal High Court judgment mandating the Commission to recognise the party’s participation.
INEC disclosed the development in an official statement on Friday by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun.
According to the commission, it had earlier excluded the SDP from the elections because the party failed to submit a valid notice for the conduct of primaries, which meant INEC could not monitor the process as required by law.
‘The commission has been served with the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1525/2025.
‘In the judgment, the Commission was ordered to include the Social Democratic Party and its candidates in the by-elections in 12 States of the Federation.
‘The party did not earlier submit a valid notice for the conduct of primaries for the bye-elections. For this reason, they were not monitored by the commission.
‘However, in compliance with the judgment, the names of the candidates submitted manually have been accepted and published on our website. The party will participate in the by-elections’, Olumekun said.
Despite the last-minute court ruling, INEC assured voters that the elections would proceed as planned.
‘The commission wishes to assure the public, especially voters in the 12 States, that the 11th-hour judgement will not affect the election which will proceed tomorrow, Saturday 16th August 2025 as scheduled’, Olumekun affirmed.
He added that while INEC would comply with the court order, it reserves the right to challenge the ruling through appropriate legal channels.
‘Meanwhile, the commission will exercise its legitimate right of appeal under the law’, he stated.
The commission has completed arrangements for Saturday’s by-elections in 16 constituencies across 12 states, even as political parties and candidates intensified campaigns ahead of the close of political activities at midnight on Thursday.
