INEC to Conduct Enugu North Senatorial By-Election in 1,488 Polling Units, Trains Supervisory Officers

Our Reporter 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the forthcoming Enugu North Senatorial District by-election will be conducted across 1,488 polling units spread within the six local government areas that make up the senatorial district.

The commission had earlier fixed June 20, 2026, for the by-election and officially published the notice and timetable for the exercise on May 21.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, disclosed this on Wednesday while declaring open a three-day training programme for prospective Supervisory Presiding Officers (SPOs) at the Institute of Management and Technology (IMT), Enugu.

According to the REC, the by-election will take place in Nsukka, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Udenu, Igbo-Etiti and Uzo-Uwani local government areas, covering a total of 102 Registration Areas (RAs).

He noted that the geographical spread and size of the senatorial district make adequate preparation imperative, stressing that both INEC personnel and ad-hoc staff would play critical roles in ensuring a successful electoral process.

"The nature and vastness of the district underscore the importance of adequate preparation and the critical role that INEC staff and ad-hoc staff will play in the successful conduct of the by-election," Chukwu said.

The REC explained that the training was designed to equip prospective SPOs with the knowledge and skills required to effectively carry out their duties during the election.

He said participants would be taken through electoral processes, procedures, operational guidelines, and technology-driven election management systems that would prepare them for field operations.

Chukwu, however, clarified that participation in the training programme does not automatically qualify any participant for deployment as a Supervisory Presiding Officer.

"I wish to emphasise that participation in this training does not automatically guarantee deployment as a Supervisory Presiding Officer.

"At the end of the training, participants will be assessed based on attendance, performance, understanding of the electoral process, practical exercises and overall conduct. 

"Only those who demonstrate competence and perform creditably will be selected for engagement as SPOs for the forthcoming by-election," he stated.

He further stressed that successful participants would be expected to demonstrate strong leadership, communication and supervisory skills, as they would also be responsible for facilitating the training of Presiding Officers (POs) and Assistant Presiding Officers (APOs).

According to him, SPOs must possess a sound understanding of electoral procedures and the capacity to guide and supervise other election officials to ensure adherence to INEC guidelines and the integrity of the electoral process.

The training forms part of INEC's preparations ahead of the June 20 by-election, which is expected to fill the vacant Enugu North Senatorial seat and ensure a credible, transparent and efficient electoral exercise across the district.