Supporters of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, have secured the All Progressives Congress (APC) tickets to contest the forthcoming Rivers State House of Assembly bye-elections slated for February 21, 2026.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is set to conduct the bye-elections to fill two vacant seats in the state legislature representing Ahoada-East Constituency II and Khana Constituency II.
The vacancies arose following the death of the lawmaker for Khana Constituency II, Hon. Dunebari Loolo, and the resignation of the Ahoada-East Constituency II representative, Edison Ehie, who stepped down amid the ongoing political crisis in Rivers State.
Ahead of the primaries, the APC organised congresses to elect delegates for the exercise, producing five delegates from each constituency. The delegate congresses were held on Sunday and supervised by committees set up by the party’s National Working Committee, while Monday’s primaries were monitored by the same committees alongside INEC officials and security agencies.
At the end of the process, Hon. Napoleon Ukalikpe, described as a loyalist of Wike, emerged as the APC candidate for Ahoada-East Constituency II. For Khana Constituency II, Mrs. Bulabari Loolo clinched the party’s ticket. She is the widow of the late Hon. Dunebari Loolo and was reportedly chosen as a form of political compensation following her husband’s death.
Sources say the outcome has triggered unease within the camp of Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara. While some allege that the governor may have compromised the interests of his supporters, others believe political operatives aligned with Wike outmaneuvered Fubara’s camp during the process.
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