Low turnout and voter apathy marked the by-election to fill the vacant seats for Ahoada East and Khana constituencies in the Rivers State House of Assembly.

Although the election was largely peaceful, most polling units recorded very few voters.

Security operatives, including police and personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), were deployed to maintain order at the polling stations.

The by-election, conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), took place in Ahoada East Constituency II and Khana Constituency II.

Voting began as early as 8 a.m. in most units visited by our correspondent and was ongoing by 1:30 p.m.

At Lueku Ward 3, Units 3, 6, and 7, only a handful of voters were seen casting their ballots.

Similarly, in Ula-Apata community of Ahoada East LGA, voting at Units 1 and 3 started around 10 a.m., with only a few voters in attendance while many residents continued with their daily activities despite movement restrictions.

However, the area remained calm throughout.

Despite police restrictions, business activities continued, and vehicular movement was largely not enforced.

It was gathered that many voters in Ahoada East who observe Saturday worship planned to vote after their church services.

INEC records indicate that elections in Ahoada East were conducted across six registration areas and eight in Khana, totalling 14 registration areas.

Ahoada East has 87 polling units, while Khana has 155, making 242 units across both constituencies.

The total number of registered voters is 112,950, with 41,085 in Ahoada East and 71,865 in Khana.

Daily Trust had earlier reported how low voter turnout marred Saturday’s elections in Kano and the Federal Capital Territory. (Weekend Trust)