The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the distribution of sensitive election materials in preparation for the Rivers South-East Senatorial District by-election scheduled to hold on June 20, 2026.
The exercise commenced on Thursday at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) office in Port Harcourt, where officials from both the national and state levels of the electoral body monitored the process to ensure a smooth rollout ahead of the poll.
The senatorial by-election is being conducted to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi in February 2026.
Eligible voters across seven local government areas—Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, and Oyigbo—are expected to participate in the election.
INEC confirmed that four political parties have met the requirements to contest the seat. The parties are the Action Alliance (AA), All Progressives Congress (APC), Labour Party (LP), and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
According to the commission, a total of 858,573 registered voters will be eligible to cast their ballots across 1,629 polling units spread over 88 electoral wards within the senatorial district.
To facilitate the election, INEC has deployed 6,774 ad hoc personnel and will utilise the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for voter verification and accreditation during the exercise.
The commission said the early distribution of sensitive materials forms part of efforts to ensure transparency, credibility, and seamless conduct of the by-election.
INEC Distributes Sensitive Materials Ahead of Rivers South-East By-Election
