Supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have emerged as candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the Rivers State House of Assembly bye-elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.
Naija News reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct the polls to fill two vacant seats in the state legislature.
The affected constituencies are Ahoada-East Local Government Area Constituency II and Khana Local Government Area Constituency II.
The vacancy in Khana Constituency II followed the death of the lawmaker representing the area, Dunebari Loolo, while the Ahoada-East Constituency II seat became vacant after Edison Ehie resigned amid the political crisis in the state.
Ahead of the primaries, the APC conducted congresses in both constituencies to select delegates for the nomination process. Five delegates emerged from each constituency after exercises supervised by committees constituted by the party’s National Working Committee.
The primaries were subsequently held on Monday in the presence of APC officials, INEC personnel and security agencies.
At the conclusion of the exercise, Napoleon Ukalikpe, a known ally of Wike, emerged as the APC candidate for Ahoada-East Constituency II.
In Khana Constituency II, the party’s ticket was secured by Bulabari Loolo, the widow of the late lawmaker who previously represented the constituency.
The outcome of the primaries has reportedly unsettled supporters of Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara. While some party members accused the governor of failing to safeguard the interests of his loyalists, others claimed that groups aligned with Wike moved swiftly to dominate the process.