The candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Ukalikpe Napoleon, has been declared the winner of the Ahoada East State Constituency bye-election conducted on February 21, 2026, in Rivers State.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the result at the close of collation, with the Returning Officer, Prof. Rosemary Ogbo, confirming that the election was duly conducted and contested.

Announcing the final tally, Prof. Ogbo said Ukalikpe polled 3,980 votes to defeat six other candidates. His closest challenger, Godstime Egor of the Action Party of Nigeria (APN), garnered 38 votes, while Ego Marvellous of the Action Alliance (AA) secured 33 votes.

Other results showed Oseja Clifford of the Boot Party (BP) polling 11 votes; Ephraim Raphael Ede of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) scoring 7 votes; Ogide Samson Greatman of the Young Progressives Party (YPP) also recording 7 votes; and Kwodu Saturday Prosper of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) receiving 6 votes.

Prof. Ogbo, while declaring the result, stated that Ukalikpe, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of valid votes cast, is duly returned elected.

“I, Prof. Rosemary Ogbo, hereby certify that I am the Returning Officer for the 2026 Ahoada East State Constituency bye-election held on the 21st day of February 2026. The election was contested and the candidates received the following votes… Ukalikpe Napoleon of APC, having satisfied the requirements of the law, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” she announced.

Earlier, Ukalikpe had expressed optimism about his chances after casting his vote at Ogbelle Town, Unit 1, Ward 9, in Ahoada East Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Speaking to journalists shortly after voting, the APC flagbearer commended voters for what he described as an encouraging turnout and lauded security operatives for maintaining order across the constituency.

“I am very happy with the turnout. There is security everywhere, and there has so far been no disturbance,” he said, noting that the process at his polling unit was seamless.

Ukalikpe also urged Nigerians to commend President Bola Tinubu and INEC for what he described as an improved electoral process, adding that he experienced no difficulty during accreditation and voting.

“I passed through all the hurdles, saw my name on the system and voted without any problem. Everything went peacefully,” he said, expressing confidence of victory even before the official declaration.

Despite the APC’s sweeping margin, our correspondent’s observations indicated that voter turnout varied across polling units. While Unit 1, Ward 9, recorded noticeable activity, some other areas experienced low participation.

At Ward 10, Units 12 and 5, as well as Ward 8, Unit 9 in Ogbelle Town, turnout was low at the time of monitoring.

The bye-election was held to fill the vacant Ahoada East State Constituency seat, with security presence and electoral officials deployed across the affected wards to ensure a peaceful exercise.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has began the upload of results of Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council polls on its results viewing portal (IReV).

The area council polls were conducted today, February 21, across the six area councils in the nation’s capital.

Checks show that results from polling units from the area councils have started trickling in, including those for chairmanship and councillorship.

As of 6:28:05 pm, 809 results out 1401, representing 57.74 percent from the Abuja municipal area council (AMAC) have been uploaded on the IReV.

Similarly, some polling units’ results for by-elections in Kano and Rivers states have been uploaded on IReV.

The FCT area council elections are serving as a test-run for INEC ahead of the 2027 general election.

Last Wednesday, President Bola Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 (amendment) bill into law.

The passage of the legislation at the senate and house of representatives sparked controversy and numerous talking points, especially the aspect of the real-time electronic transmission of election results.

When the house of representatives passed the Electoral Act in December 2025, it adopted a proposal mandating the real-time transmission of election results to the IReV.

However, when the senate passed the Electoral Act amendment bill in early February 2026, the proposal for real-time electronic transmission of election results was rejected — a move that has sparked protests and calls for lawmakers to reverse the decision.

Owing to the protests, the senate rescinded its decision and approved the electronic transmission of election results to IReV, with a clause that manual collation should serve as a fallback if technology fails.

Due to the differences, the senate and the house of representatives constituted a conference committee to harmonise the versions of the bill passed by both chambers.

The conference committee later adopted the version of the senate, which allows electronic transmission of election results and manual backup.

Adebayo Adeoye

That Abuja Investments Company Limited, AICL has entered a new phase of institutional renewal following the appointment of Nyesom Wike as Minister of the Federal Capital Territory is like stating the obvious.

The company, established over three decades ago as the investment vehicle of the FCT Administration, has seriously undergone a structured repositioning and strengthened its role within the capital’s economic architecture.

With Ambassador Maureen Tamuno serving as Group Managing Director, AICL is recalibrating its operational focus to align more closely with contemporary public-sector investment models.

Historically regarded as a conservative holding entity, the organisation is now demonstrating a more deliberate emphasis on portfolio optimisation, governance refinement, and strategic asset activation.

The repositioning reflects a broader institutional shift within the FCT Administration toward enhanced revenue sustainability, infrastructure expansion, and disciplined capital deployment.

Within this framework, AICL is increasingly viewed as a key platform for structuring bankable public-private partnerships, unlocking under-utilised assets, and strengthening long-term value creation across its investment portfolio.

Industry analysts observe a transition from passive asset management to proactive investment stewardship — characterised by clearer strategic communication, improved stakeholder engagement, and tighter alignment with the Territory’s development priorities.

While the long-term impact of these reforms will be evaluated through performance metrics and return profiles, the strategic direction is evident.

AICL is repositioning itself as a disciplined, performance-oriented investment institution — one designed not merely to hold assets, but to drive sustainable economic outcomes for the Federal Capital Territory.

Within a two-year period, AICL has organised three major business and investment expos — two in Abuja and one in London — reinforcing its outward-facing investment drive.

The inaugural Abuja Investment and Business Summit, held in October 2024 under the theme “Optimizing Investment Through Partnership,” convened senior government officials, captains of industry, heads of foreign missions, development partners, business leaders, and prospective investors. Among the notable participants were the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the Governor of Anambra State, Charles Soludo.

The summit successfully showcased the vast investment potential within the FCT and aligned with the Federal Government’s Renewed Hope Agenda aimed at economic stabilisation and sustainable growth.

In June 2025, with the minister’s l backing, AICL extended its investment outreach to the United Kingdom through a high-level business forum in London. The forum highlighted opportunities in technology, renewable energy, agriculture, infrastructure, and real estate, serving as a strategic bridge between European investors and Abuja-based projects.

The programme featured B2B matchmaking sessions, panel discussions, and curated investment portfolio presentations.

Notably, the event spotlighted transformative projects such as the Abuja Tech Village Free Zone, promoting incentives including tax waivers and duty-free import schemes to attract foreign direct investment.

Further consolidating its institutional visibility, AICL hosted another large-scale investment expo in October 2025 at the newly refurbished Bola Ahmed Tinubu International Conference Centre.

The event marked a significant scale-up in ambition and execution, attracting leading business figures, including the Chairman of United Bank for Africa, Tony Elumelu, who delivered the keynote address.

Collectively, these strategic engagements have elevated AICL’s institutional profile beyond Abuja and its environs, embedding the organisation more firmly within the national and international investment conversation.

Beyond optics, they reflect a calculated effort to reposition AICL as a credible facilitator of structured capital flows, institutional partnerships, and measurable economic impact.