SDP Gets Green Light For Bye-Elections – INEC Reveals Surprising Reason

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that candidates of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) will be permitted to take part in the forthcoming bye-elections across twelve states, following a court order.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

INEC disclosed that it had received a judgment from the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1525/2025, directing the Commission to include SDP candidates in the elections scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2025.

Although the SDP’s primary elections were not monitored due to the party’s failure to submit a valid notice for the conduct of primaries, INEC stated it would comply with the court’s directive. Consequently, the Commission has accepted and published the names of SDP candidates, submitted manually, on its official website.

In a statement issued on Friday by National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information & Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, the electoral body assured that the last-minute judgment would not disrupt the election timetable.

“The Commission has been served with the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abuja Division, in Suit No. FHC/ABJ/CS/1525/2025, ordering that the Social Democratic Party (SDP) and its candidates be included in the bye-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, and as a result, they were not monitored by the Commission. However, in compliance with the judgment, the candidates’ names, submitted manually, have been accepted and published on our website. The party will participate in the bye-elections.

“The Commission assures voters in the 12 states that the 11th-hour judgment will not affect the elections, which will proceed as scheduled on Saturday, August 16, 2025. Meanwhile, the Commission will exercise its legitimate right to appeal the ruling,” the statement read.