INEC fixes February 21 for Rivers bye-elections, reviews FCT Area Council poll preparations

By Johnson Arua

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

The decision followed an extraordinary meeting of the Commission held on Monday, December 22, 2025, where INEC also reviewed its level of preparedness for the forthcoming end-of-tenure Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), scheduled for the same date.

This was disclosed in a statement issued in Abuja by Malam Mohammed Haruna, Chairman of INEC’s Information, Voter Education and Publicity Committee.

According to the statement, the Commission considered and approved the draft timetable and schedule of activities for the conduct of the Rivers State bye-elections.

Haruna explained that INEC acted in line with Section 116 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which empowers the Commission to fix election dates and conduct bye-elections to fill legislative vacancies.

He noted that the vacancy in Ahoada East II State Constituency arose from the resignation of its lawmaker, while the Khana II vacancy followed the death of the sitting member.

The Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, he added, had formally notified INEC of the vacancies.

According to the approved timetable, the official notice of the elections will be published on January 22, 2026.

Political parties are expected to conduct their primaries and resolve any related disputes between January 23 and January 27, 2026.

Campaigns by political parties and candidates will commence on February 8 and end on February 19, 2026, ahead of the elections slated for February 21.

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to conducting credible and timely elections in line with constitutional provisions.