INEC Drops Bombshell: Rejects Edison Ehie’s Resignation, Rules Out Bye-Election in Ahoada East

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has stirred political tension in Rivers State after announcing it will not conduct a bye-election in Ahoada East Constituency 2, despite the resignation of former lawmaker and factional Speaker, Edison Ehie.

Ehie, who led a five-member pro-Governor Fubara faction of the Rivers State House of Assembly, had resigned his seat in December 2023 before being swiftly appointed Chief of Staff to the governor. His resignation came at the height of the bitter political crisis that split the state legislature.

However, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Rivers State, Gabriel Yomere, disclosed on a live radio programme Tuesday that both the electoral body and the Rivers Assembly rejected Ehie’s resignation. This means the seat remains legally occupied, leaving no grounds for a bye-election.

> “The resignation of Edison Ehie was not accepted by the House of Assembly, and INEC equally did not recognize it. Therefore, there is no vacancy to warrant a bye-election in Ahoada East Constituency 2,” Yomere stated emphatically.

He clarified that the only bye-election scheduled for Rivers State will take place in Khana Constituency 2, following the death of Hon. Dinebari Loolo in September 2023. That election, Yomere confirmed, will be conducted before the end of 2025.

The REC further assured political parties of a level playing field:

> “INEC will treat all parties equally. There will be no preferential treatment for anyone,” he declared.

This announcement has sparked fresh debates in Rivers’ tense political landscape, with analysts warning that the Commission’s position could trigger fresh legal and political battles, especially from opposition figures who may view the decision as shielding Governor Fubara’s loyalists.