PDP Candidate Olaka Nwogu Lands Landslide Victory In Rivers South-east Senatorial By-election

Agorehmi Bright, Reporting 

BORI, RIVERS STATE — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared Olaka Nwogu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner of Saturday’s by-election for the Rivers South-East Senatorial District, following a resounding victory that saw him secure more than 93 per cent of the valid votes cast.

The 20th June 2026 by-election, which was contested across the seven local government areas that constitute the senatorial district — namely Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Andoni, Oyigbo and Opobo — drew only four political parties whose candidates were cleared by INEC to vie for the seat. The vacancy arose following the untimely death of Senator Barry Barinada Mpigi in February 2026.

Announcing the final results at the INEC collation centre in Bori, Khana Local Government Area, the Returning Officer, Professor Rosemary Ogu of the University of Port Harcourt, confirmed that Mr Nwogu — a close political associate of the Federal Capital Territory Minister, Nyesom Wike — polled 47,961 votes out of the 51,150 valid votes recorded across the district.

Professor Ogu provided the full breakdown of the results, stating: “The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Osarokaka Erewari, came second with 1,647 votes. Douglas Fabeke of the Action Alliance (AA) secured third place with 1,175 votes, while the Labour Party (LP) candidate, Sam Kinanee Barikpoa, garnered 367 votes.”

She added: “That Nwogu Olaka Johnson of the PDP, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and is returned elected.”

The outcome represents a commanding mandate for the PDP candidate, who swept the poll with a margin of more than 46,000 votes over his nearest rival.

Meanwhile, INEC has acknowledged that technical glitches involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) were recorded during the exercise, but assured stakeholders that measures are being put in place to address such issues ahead of future elections.

The Head of Department, Voter Education in INEC, Rivers State, Geraldine Ekelemu, disclosed this during an inspection tour of participating local government areas alongside the INEC National Commissioner representing the South-South, May Mbu.

Mrs Ekelemu explained that the commission had made provisions for backup BVAS machines, noting that the devices can be reconfigured in cases where the primary unit malfunctions.

“We are committed to learning from any challenges encountered and ensuring a smoother electoral process going forward,” she stated.

The by-election is seen as a significant test of political strength in the district, with the PDP’s overwhelming victory reinforcing the party’s dominance in the region ahead of the 2027 general elections.