PORT HARCOURT – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has accepted the resignation of Edison Ehie, the former lawmaker for Ahoada East Constituency II in the Rivers State House of Assembly, and announced a bye-election to fill the vacant seat.
Ehie, before resigning from the Rivers State House of Assembly in December 2023, served as the factional Speaker of a five-member assembly aligned with Governor Siminalayi Fubara.
After his resignation, Governor Fubara appointed him as Chief of Staff, a position he held until President Bola Ahmed Tinubu suspended the state’s executive and legislative arms on March 18, 2025.
In October 2025, INEC rejected Ohie’s resignation, maintaining that it would not conduct a bye-election to replace him and another lawmaker who had died, representing Khana Constituency II.
However, after an extraordinary meeting on Monday, December 22, 2025, the commission scheduled bye-elections for Ahoada East Constituency II and Khana Constituency II for February 21, 2026.
INEC also reviewed preparations for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, which are slated for the same date.
Section 116 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) authorises INEC to conduct bye-elections to fill vacant seats in state assemblies.
The schedule shows that the Notice of Election will be issued on January 22, 2026, followed by party primaries, dispute resolution, and public campaigns by parties and candidates from January 23 to 27, 2026. The bye-elections is set to take place on February 21, 2026.
