The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has started the distribution of sensitive election materials ahead of Saturday’s Rivers South-East Senatorial District bye-election, where more than 858,000 registered voters are expected to cast their ballots.
The poll is being organised to fill the senatorial seat left vacant following the death of former lawmaker, Barry Mpigi, who passed away in a London hospital in February.
As part of preparations for the election, ballot papers, result sheets and other sensitive materials were presented for inspection on Thursday at the zonal office of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Port Harcourt. Representatives of political parties participating in the contest were allowed to verify the materials before they were dispatched to various electoral locations.
Officials from the Action Alliance, All Progressives Congress, Labour Party and Peoples Democratic Party monitored the exercise.
Addressing stakeholders during the inspection, Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Johnson Sinikiem, said the commission deliberately opened the process to political parties to promote transparency and confidence in the conduct of the election.
“We have come to inspect and distribute the ballot papers and the result sheets that we are going to use for the Saturday, June 20, 2026, senatorial bye-election in Rivers State.
“As you can see, the materials are intact and have not been tampered with. Party agents are free to inspect them, and once there are no objections, they will be distributed to the local governments and RAC centres,” he said.
Sinikiem disclosed that 858,573 registered voters are expected to participate in the exercise across 1,629 polling units within the senatorial district.
He explained that once the verification process was completed, the materials would be transported to the relevant local government areas and Registration Area Centres in readiness for voting.
The bye-election will take place across the seven councils that make up the Rivers South-East Senatorial District — Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro and Oyigbo.
The election is expected to determine who succeeds the late senator and represents the district in the National Assembly.
(Ripples)