Voting in the Rivers State House of Assembly bye-election for Khana Constituency II has officially ended, with attention now shifting to the final collation of results at the collation centre in Bori, the headquarters of Khana Local Government Area.
The bye-election, which was conducted across 16 polling units in the constituency, recorded generally low voter turnout. However, observers noted a comparatively higher presence of voters at the polling unit associated with the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) than in other units monitored.
In a notable development, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission reportedly departed Polling Unit 13 for the collation centre without completing the vote count at the unit, a move that drew attention from observers present.
Two major opposition parties were absent from the ballot papers. The parties featured on the ballot included the APC, as well as the Action Alliance (AA), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).
Reporters from Channels Television who monitored the exercise observed that the restriction of movement order was largely ignored, as markets and small businesses remained open throughout the voting period.
Some voters and candidates expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the election, describing the process as peaceful, free, and fair.
Earlier, Siminalayi Fubara had called on residents of Rivers State to participate actively in the bye-election held on Saturday, February 21.
In a statement issued on Friday through his Chief Press Secretary, Onwuka Nzeshi, the governor particularly urged eligible voters in Ahoada East and Khana Local Government Areas to come out in large numbers and exercise their civic rights. He described the bye-election as a “family affair,” appealing to supporters of the APC candidates contesting the two vacant assembly seats to participate peacefully.
Fubara also charged residents to maintain law and order throughout the exercise, stressing that peace and decorum were essential to the credibility of the electoral process.
“Everybody should be law-abiding and avoid doing anything that will disturb the peace during the exercise. It is actually a family election, and there is no need for rancour and acrimony,” he said.
The bye-elections in Rivers State were conducted alongside polls across the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, as well as legislative by-elections in Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies in Kano State, all overseen by INEC.
