Categories: NewsPolitics

INEC schedules Rivers by-elections for February 2026

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Saturday, February 21, 2026, for the conduct of bye-elections into the Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies of Rivers State.

INEC disclosed this in a statement issued by Mohammed Haruna, chairperson of the Commission’s Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee, following the approval of the timetable and schedule of activities at an extraordinary meeting of the Commission.

According to the statement, the elections are being conducted in line with Section 116 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), which empowers INEC to fix dates and conduct bye-elections to fill vacancies in legislative houses.

“The Commission has fixed Saturday, 21 February 2026, for the conduct of bye-elections into the Ahoada East II and Khana II State Constituencies,” the statement said.

INEC explained that the vacancy in Ahoada East II resulted from the resignation of its lawmaker, while the Khana II seat became vacant following the death of its representative.

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly had formally notified the Commission of the vacancies.

The notice of election will be published on January 22, 2026.

Political parties are expected to conduct their primaries and resolve any disputes arising from the process between January 23 and 27.

Campaigns will begin on February 8 and end at midnight on February 19, ahead of the polls.

The vacancy in Ahoada East II followed the resignation of Edison Ehie, a former factional Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly.

His resignation came after a peace agreement brokered by President Bola Tinubu to resolve the prolonged political crisis between Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The crisis had split the Assembly into rival factions, disrupted governance in the state and led to heightened political tension.

Following his resignation, Ehie was appointed Chief of Staff to Governor Fubara.

LUKMAN ABDULMALIK

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