House of Representatives Welcomes Three New Members After Bye-Elections
The House of Representatives today officially welcomed three new members, who were sworn in by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Abbas Tajudeen, following their victories in the August 16, 2025, bye-elections.
The swearing-in ceremony, held on Tuesday, saw Omosede Igbinedion (Ovia South/Ovia West/Ovia North-East Federal Constituency, Edo State), Joseph Bagudu (Chikun/Kajuru Federal Constituency, Kaduna State), and Mukhtar Rabiu (Garki/Babura Federal Constituency, Jigawa State) take their oaths of office.
The three lawmakers are part of a group of five individuals elected to fill seats left vacant due to the unfortunate death of four sitting members and the departure of one member to pursue a gubernatorial ambition.
The vacancies arose after the Green Chamber lost four members in 2024 and 2025. The late members include Ekene Adams (Kaduna), Isa Dogonyaro (Jigawa), and Olaide Akinremi (Oyo), who passed away due to illness in 2024, as well as Oriyomi Onanuga, who died earlier in 2025.
Additionally, the seat previously held by Dennis Idahosa became vacant after he was selected as the running mate to Senator Monday Okpebholo in the 2024 Edo governorship election.
The bye-elections, conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in the affected states, saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) secure four out of the five vacant seats, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) won the remaining one.
Among those sworn in today, all three—Igbinedion, Bagudu, and Rabiu—representing the ruling APC.
Noticeably absent from the swearing-in ceremony were two other successful candidates from the August polls: Elegbeji Ayola, who won the Sagamu/Ikenne/Remo North Federal Constituency in Ogun State, and Oyekunle Sunday, the winner of the Ibadan North seat.
Mr. Sunday, who is the only victorious candidate produced by the PDP in the bye-elections, and Mr. Ayola are expected to be sworn in at a later date. No official reason was immediately provided for their absence.
The new lawmakers are now expected to commence legislative duties immediately, adding to the strength of their respective party caucuses and providing representation for their constituents.
