Wike’s ally speaks after winning Rivers senatorial seat under PDP
Olaka Nwogu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has promised effective representation after winning the Rivers South-East senatorial by-election held on Saturday, June 20, 2026.
He made the pledge shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared him winner on Sunday, June 21, 2026.
Announcing the results, INEC Returning Officer Rosemary Ogu said Nwogu polled 47,961 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Beke Fabeke of the Action Alliance (AA), who scored 1,175 votes.
Osarosaka Ebenezer of the All Progressives Congress (APC) came second with 1,647 votes, while Sam Bariboa of the Labour Party (LP) polled 367 votes.
The by-election was conducted to fill the vacancy created by the death of Senator Barinada Mpigi in February.
Nwogu, a strong member of the Nyesom Wike faction of the PDP, represented the Tai/Eleme/Oyigbo Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives between 1999 and 2011.
In 2015, he won election as senator after defeating Magnus Abe of the APC. However, his victory was short-lived as the Court of Appeal nullified the result, and he lost the subsequent re-run election.
