INEC declares PDP candidate the winner of the Rivers South East Senate election.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that Nwoku Olaka Johnson of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the bye‑election for the Rivers South‑East Senatorial District, which took place on Saturday.

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

Johnson received 47,961 votes. The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Osarosaka Ebenezer Erewari, placed second with 1,647 votes, and Douglas Fabeke Beeka of the Action Alliance (AA) garnered 1,175 votes.

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

All four parties involved in the bye‑election belong to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister Nyesom Wike’s rainbow coalition, which had selected Senator Olaka as its preferred candidate.

The seat had become vacant after the death of Senator Barry Barinada Mpigi in February 2026.