Indications have emerged that the contest for the Rivers South-East senatorial district seat in the forthcoming June 20, 2026 bye-election will be dominated by political parties under the so-called “Rainbow Coalition.”
The Rainbow Coalition is a political alliance led by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Chief Nyesom Wike, bringing together politicians from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Labour Party (LP) and Action Alliance (AA) under a shared political arrangement.
The bye-election was called to replace the late Senator Barinada Mpigi, who recently passed on and was buried.
The four candidates expected to contest include Douglas Fabeke of the AA, Osarosaka Erewari of the APC, Sam Barikpia of the LP, and Senator Olaka Nwogu of the PDP.
Speaking on the election, APC Youth Leader in Rivers South-East Senatorial District, Hon. Innocent Ajaelu, said any of the candidates fielded under the Rainbow Coalition platform stands a strong chance of winning.
He said the forthcoming bye-election represents a continuation of the coalition’s political structure in the state.
“I want to put one notice right here that election is going to be the second test-running of what we have today in Rivers State. In Rivers State today, we don’t have one political party; what we have is coalition.
“We have done it before in the bye-election of Khana Constituency and Ahoada-East Constituency. The coalition projected candidates and we delivered. People should not look at this coming bye-election and subsequent elections in the state as a party thing; they should look at it from that point of coalition.
“In the bye-election, we are going to present candidates either in PDP, either in APC or any other party that is part of the coalition, and together, the coalition as a group will win that election,” he said.
