INEC declares PDP candidate winner of Rivers South East senate poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared Nwoku Olaka Johnson of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, winner of the bye-election for the Rivers South-East Senatorial District held on Saturday.

The announcement of result took place at the INEC collation centre in Bori, Khana Local Government Area by the returning officer, Professor Rosemary Ogu of the University of Port Harcourt.

According to the result, Nwoku Olaka Johnson scored a total of 47,961 votes with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Osarosaka Ebenezer Erewari who came in second with 1,647 votes, while Douglas Fabeke Beeka of the Action Alliance, AA, polled 1,175 votes.

The Labour Party (LP) candidate, Sam Kinanee Barikpoa, scored 367 votes.

All four parties that participated in the bye-election are part of the minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike’s rainbow coalition, with the group deciding on Senator Olaka as its preferred choice for the election.

It could be recalled that the Rivers South-East Senatorial District seat became vacant following the death of Senator Barry Barinada Mpigi in February 2026.