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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has slated a bye election to fill the vacant seat of Ibarapa East State Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly for Saturday, June 2.
The seat became vacant following the death of the immediate past speaker of the House, Michael Adeyemo, who was the lawa aker from the constituency.
Adeyemo died of a heart attack on Friday, April 27.
Addressing reporters in Ibadan on Tuesday, the INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Oyo State, Mutiu Agboke, said political parties interested in fielding candidates for the election must conduct their primaries between Tuesday May 15 and Saturday May 19.
He said the election would be conducted in 140 polling units of the constituency. He also disclosed that political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders had been invited to discuss the timetable and activities that would lead to the election.
He said machinery were set in motion to fulfill extant laws as soon as the House of Assembly informed the commission formally of the death of Speaker Adeyemo and the consequent vacancy of his position as a lawmaker.
On the level of Permanent Voters Card issuance and registration in the state, the REC explained that those who registered in the 2017 continuous voter registration can start collecting their PVCs as from Monday, May 21.
He said even thought the PVCs of those who registered in 2018 had not been produced, they would be ready before the 2019 elections commence.
According to him, the total number of new registrants is 290, 960 comprising 149, 554 males and 141, 406 females.
He disclosed that 630, 853 PVCs were yet to be collected in the state even as the commission had embarked on a series of advocacy campaign and engagement with stakeholders to ensure make the owners of the cards claim them.