The Independent National Electoral Commission, on Thursday, distributed sensitive materials for the June 20, 2026, by-elections in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers, Ondo, Kebbi and Kano states.
- +By-elections: Police restrict movement, INEC distributes sensitive materials
The distribution comes as the police announced restrictions on movement in the affected states and constituencies.
The distribution comes as the police announced restrictions on movement in the affected states and constituencies.
The by-elections will be conducted alongside the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for the same date.
According to INEC, the by-elections will cover senatorial vacancies in Enugu, Nasarawa, Rivers and Ondo states, as well as a state House of Assembly seat in Kebbi State and a House of Representatives seat in Kano State.
On Thursday, INEC commenced the distribution of sensitive materials for Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
The Action Alliance, All Progressives Congress, Labour Party, and the Peoples Democratic Party, the four parties participating in the poll, inspected the sensitive election materials designated for the election.
Recall that the by-election is to fill the vacancy occasioned by the death of Senator Barry Mpigi.
The senator passed on at a London Hospital in February.
The sensitive materials were inspected at the zonal headquarters of the Central Bank of Nigeria in Port Harcourt in the presence of party representatives, in compliance with electoral transparency procedures, after officials of the INEC took delivery of the materials.
Speaking during the exercise, the Rivers State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Johnson Sinikiem, revealed that 858,573 registered voters were expected to take part in the election across 1,629 polling units.
Sinikiem stated that the exercise was aimed at inspecting and distributing ballot papers and result sheets for the Rivers South East Senatorial District by-election to ensure transparency before their distribution to the various local government areas and Registration Area Centres.
In Enugu State, the state police command ordered a restriction on both human and vehicular movements ahead of the Enugu North Senatorial District by-election scheduled for Saturday.
The restriction, which will run from 12:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on the election day, was aimed at ensuring a peaceful, orderly, and credible electoral process across the affected areas.
In a statement on Thursday, the Police Public Relations Officer of the state command, SP Daniel Ndukwe, noted that the restriction would apply to the six local government areas making up the senatorial zone.
The affected councils are Igbo-Etiti, Igbo-Eze North, Igbo-Eze South, Nsukka, Udenu, and Uzo-Uwani.
Ndukwe, however, clarified that electoral officials and individuals on verifiable essential duties were exempted from the movement ban.
According to the statement, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Mamman Bitrus Giwa, assured residents of maximum security following the deployment of massive reinforcements ordered by the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu.
In Nasarawa, the election would be conducted in the Nasarawa North Senatorial District.
The seat became vacant following the death of Senator Godiya Akwashiki after a prolonged illness.
