The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State says it has reached 97 per cent readiness for the forthcoming Rivers South-East Senatorial District bye-election scheduled for June 20, 2026.
The election will be conducted across seven local government areas: Andoni, Opobo/Nkoro, Eleme, Oyigbo, Tai, Gokana and Khana.
Speaking to our correspondent in Port Harcourt, the Head of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC Rivers State, Mrs. Geraldine Ekelemu, said the commission had made substantial progress in its preparations.
According to her, most categories of ad hoc staff required for the exercise have already been trained, including supervisory presiding officers, presiding officers, and assistant presiding officers.
She added that the training of Registration Area Technical Support staff (RATECHs) and collation officers was ongoing and expected to be completed ahead of the election.
Ekelemu also disclosed that the register of voters for the bye-election had been printed in both coloured and black-and-white formats and distributed to electoral officers in the seven LGAs for verification. She noted that the officials had confirmed the accuracy of the documents.
On the deployment of technology, she stated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines had been configured, fitted with appropriate SIM cards, and were currently being charged in preparation for deployment alongside sensitive materials.
She further revealed that voter sensitisation efforts were ongoing, with jingles already airing on radio and television stations, while electoral officers continued stakeholder engagements at the local government level.
The INEC spokesperson said the commission had also held several meetings with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), which had assured of adequate security throughout the exercise.
She noted that stakeholder engagements had been conducted at both the local government and senatorial district levels, including a recent meeting in Bori, Khana Local Government Area, the district headquarters.
Ekelemu expressed confidence that sensitive materials would arrive before the election day, after which they would be inspected at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and distributed accordingly.
She said four political parties would participate in the bye-election and urged them to educate their supporters on the need for peaceful conduct.
“We appeal to political parties to shun all forms of violence and encourage their supporters to be law-abiding. Although the election is limited to Rivers South-East, its outcome has implications for the entire state,” she said.
Ekelemu also called on eligible voters to come out en masse to participate, assuring them of adequate security.
She stressed that all stakeholders must contribute to ensuring a peaceful and credible electoral process, expressing optimism that the outcome would be widely accepted.
