The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially announced February 21, 2026, as the date for bye-elections to fill two vacant seats in the Rivers State House of Assembly. The affected constituencies are Ahoada East II and Khana II, both of which currently lack representation in the state legislature.
INEC disclosed that the decision was reached during an extraordinary meeting of the Commission held on Monday. At the meeting, the electoral body also assessed the level of preparedness for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, which are scheduled to take place on the same day as the Rivers bye-elections.
According to INEC, the conduct of the bye-elections is in line with Section 116 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (as amended), which mandates the Commission to organize elections to fill vacant legislative seats. The Ahoada East II constituency became vacant following the resignation of its lawmaker, while the Khana II seat was declared vacant due to the death of its representative.
The Commission confirmed that it received formal notifications of the vacancies from the Speaker of the Rivers State House of Assembly, thereby satisfying the constitutional requirements for initiating the electoral process.
As part of its preparations, INEC released the official timetable and schedule of activities for the bye-elections. The Notice of Election is scheduled to be published on January 22, 2026, while party primaries, including the resolution of internal disputes, will hold between January 23 and January 27, 2026.INEC also announced that public campaigns by political parties and their candidates will commence on February 8, 2026, and end on February 19, 2026, ahead of the polls. The actual election day has been fixed for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
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The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to conducting a credible, transparent, and peaceful election process, urging political parties, candidates, and voters in the affected constituencies to adhere strictly to the electoral guidelines.