INEC Fixes Date For Rivers Bye-Elections

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

Disclosing this in a statement, chairperson of the Information, Voter Education, and Publicity Committee of INEC, Mohammed Haruna, said the date was announced after an extraordinary meeting of the commission, where the timetable and schedule of activities for the polls were approved.

He said the decision was taken pursuant to Section 116 of the Nigeriam Constitution, which empowers INEC to fix dates and conduct bye-elections to fill vacancies in legislative houses.

“By the provisions of Section 116 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which empowers the Commission to fix dates for elections and conduct bye-elections for vacancies arising therefrom, it has fixed 21 February 2026, for the conduct of the elections into the two State constituencies,” the statement read.

“The vacancy in the Ahoada East II Constituency arose as a result of the resignation of its member, while that of Khana II resulted from the death of its member. The Speaker of the State’s House of Assembly had since notified the Commission of the existence of the vacancies.”

According to the statement, the notice of election for both constituencies will be published on January 22, 2026.

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Political parties are expected to conduct their primaries, including the resolution of disputes arising from the process, between January 23 and 27. Campaign activities will commence on February 8 and end at midnight on 19 February, ahead of the elections on February 21.

“The elections will hold on Saturday, 21 February 2026,” the commission said.

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

Ehie resigned from the assembly after a peace deal brokered by President Bola Tinubu to end the prolonged political feud between Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers and his predecessor, now Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

The crisis had split the assembly into two rival factions, paralysed governance in the oil-rich state and led to impeachment threats, arson attacks on local government secretariats, and a six-month state of emergency declared by Tinubu.

Following Ehie’s resignation, Governor Fubara appointed him as chief of staff.