The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Mathew Dogara Daje, as the winner of the bye-election held in Munya Constituency on Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Daje defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Hon. Sabo Sunday Adabyinlo, with a margin of over 6,000 votes.
The bye-election was held to fill the vacant seat created by the death of Hon. Joseph Haruna Duza of the PDP in the Niger State House of Assembly.
Three political parties participated, which comprised the APC, PDP, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
Accreditation and voting started promptly at 8:30 am in most locations, with voters arriving early to exercise their civic rights.
In spite of the heavy security presence at the polling stations with some having up to 30 uniformed officers, the atmosphere remained calm, with voters patiently queuing to cast their votes.
It witnessed large voter turnout in some polling units, while others recorded low participation in the bye-election.
However, there were some security concerns leading to the relocation of polling units in five electoral wards of Kuchi, Beni, Dangunu, Kabila, and Kazai to safer areas.
Voting officially closed at 3:30 p.m., even though, the INEC officials ensured that all voters already in the queues at the time were allowed to cast their ballots in line with electoral guidelines.
However, the PDP candidate, Hon. Sabo Sunday Adabyinlo, not satisfied with its outcome, alleged that state resources were used to manipulate the election in favour of the APC, and accused the ruling party of vote buying and intimidation.
In his acceptance speech, APC’s Mathew Dogara Daje expressed gratitude to Governor Umaru Bago and APC supporters across Munya Local Government for the support given to him during the election.
