The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the distribution of sensitive election materials ahead of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District by-election scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Officials of the commission, alongside state and national representatives, were present at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Port Harcourt on Thursday to supervise the distribution process as part of final preparations for the poll.
The by-election was necessitated by the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi in February 2026, which created a vacancy for the Rivers South-East senatorial seat.
Voting is expected to take place across seven Local Government Areas in the district, including Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, and Oyigbo.
According to INEC’s published Form EC9, four political parties have been cleared to participate in the election: the Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
A total of 858,573 registered voters are expected to participate in the exercise across 1,629 polling units spread across 88 electoral wards in the senatorial district.
The electoral commission also confirmed the deployment of 6,774 ad hoc staff to manage voting operations and ensure smooth conduct of the election.
INEC stated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used for voter accreditation and verification, in line with its technological framework for credible elections.
Security and logistics arrangements have been strengthened to ensure timely distribution of materials and smooth conduct of the exercise across all participating local government areas.
Officials say the commission remains committed to delivering a free, fair, and credible by-election in Rivers State, while urging stakeholders and voters to maintain peace during the process.
