The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Rivers State, Dr. Johnson Sinikiem, has called on political parties and eligible voters to cooperate with the Commission to ensure a peaceful and hitch-free bye-election scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026.
Dr. Sinikiem made the appeal on Thursday during the inspection, collection, and distribution of sensitive electoral materials at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) branch in Port Harcourt.
He explained that INEC officials, alongside party agents, were present to verify the integrity of the materials before distribution to various local government areas and Registration Area Centres (RACs).
“We are here this morning at the Central Bank of Nigeria, Port Harcourt branch, to inspect, collect and distribute sensitive materials for the June 20 bye-election in Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
“As you can see, the materials have not been tampered with. I urge party agents to carefully observe and raise any concerns if necessary. Once satisfied, we will proceed with distribution to the local governments and subsequently to RAC centres. Let us all cooperate to ensure a smooth electoral process.”
Addressing concerns raised by party representatives regarding alleged cases of missing result sheets in past elections, the REC assured stakeholders that such issues had not been experienced under his supervision in Rivers State.
“This is the third election I am conducting here, including the 2023 general elections and supplementary polls, and we have not recorded incidents of missing result sheets. At the polling units, votes will be sorted, counted, and properly documented, and the same process will be followed at collation centres,” he stated.
On security arrangements, Dr. Sinikiem disclosed that INEC had held extensive consultations with security agencies in the state, assuring that adequate measures had been put in place to safeguard the electoral process across both land and riverine areas.
“We have received firm assurances from security agencies to provide coverage across all terrains, including riverine local government areas. We are confident that any potential challenges will be effectively managed,” he added.
Providing details of the exercise, the REC revealed that a total of 858,573 registered voters are expected to participate in the election across seven local government areas in the Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
He also noted that 1,629 polling units have been designated for the exercise.
The Commission thereafter commenced the distribution of electoral materials to the respective local government areas.
