Rivers Assembly By-election Records Voter Apathy

Despite the high presence of security personnel, there was voter apathy in the Rivers House of Assembly bye-election in Ahoada-East Constituency 2 and Khana Constituency 2.

Our correspondent observed that voting materials and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as well as agents of political parties arrived early at almost all the polling units in the two constituencies.

It was observed that despite the restrictions of movement as announced by the Rivers State Police Command in the two LGAs, people were seen moving freely while shops opened for businesses.

Governor Siminalayi Fubara had on Friday directed the people of the state, particularly eligible voters in Ahoada East and Khana local government areas, to participate actively in the bye-election

The governor who described the election as a family affair, urged the people to come out en-mass to support the candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) contesting for the two vacant  seats in the State House of  Assembly.

Fubara charged the people to remain peaceful and  law abiding throughout  the exercise.

Seven political parties including the Action Alliance (AA), APC, the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), the Boot Party (BP) the New Nigerian Peoples Party (NNPP), the Young Peoples Party (YPP) and the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) are fielding candidates for the election in the two constituencies.

While AA, APC, NNPP, YPP and ZLP are participating in the by-election in the two constituencies, APM and BP will be fielding candidates in Ahoada-East Constituency 2 only.

However, three major political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Labour Party (LP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) could not participate in the by-election.