The Senate on Tuesday declared the seat of Ondo South Senatorial District vacant following the appointment of its occupant, Jimoh Ibrahim, as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
Senate President Godswill Akpabio announced the decision during plenary, directing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct a by-election to fill the vacancy in line with the Electoral Act.
Akpabio also mandated the Clerk to the National Assembly, Kamorudeen Ogunlana, to formally notify INEC of the development, noting that the law requires the electoral body to fill the vacant seat.
Ibrahim, who was known as one of the more outspoken lawmakers in the chamber, particularly on issues of insecurity, represented Ondo South Senatorial District until his recent diplomatic appointment.
Before his exit, he served as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Inter-Parliamentary Affairs.
He had also contested the 2024 Ondo State governorship primary on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) but lost to Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who went on to win the election.
During his tenure, Ibrahim drew attention in July 2024 when he claimed to possess a mobile application capable of detecting the number of firearms within his jurisdiction, alleging at the time that over 277 guns were within the National Assembly and the Presidential Villa, though he did not provide details on their ownership.
With the declaration of the vacancy, attention now shifts to INEC, which is expected to issue a notice outlining the timetable for the by-election, including party primaries, campaigns and the polling date.
Political parties will conduct primaries to nominate candidates, after which INEC will publish the final list of contestants and commence full-scale preparations, including voter education, logistics deployment and coordination with security agencies.
On election day, voting will be conducted across polling units in the senatorial district, with results collated from ward to local government and ultimately at the district collation centre.
The candidate with the highest number of valid votes will be declared winner and issued a certificate of return as senator-elect.
The by-election is expected to ensure continuity of representation for the people of Ondo South Senatorial District in the National Assembly
