The electoral commission announced that the PDP candidate recorded 47,961 votes to defeat his opponents and secure the senatorial seat. His closest challenger, Osarokaka Ebenezer Erewari of the All Progressives Congress, received 1,647 votes.
Other candidates in the race included Douglass Fabeke of the Action Alliance, who scored 1,175 votes, and Labour Party candidate Sam Kinani, who polled 367 votes.
The election was conducted in Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Andoni, Oyigbo and Opobo/Nkoro local government areas, which make up the Rivers South-East Senatorial District.
Following the collation of results from all participating areas, the Returning Officer, Professor Rosemary Ogu, declared Nwogu duly elected after meeting the legal requirements needed to win the election.
The victory strengthens the PDP’s presence in the district and returns the party to the Senate seat previously occupied by the late Barry Mpigi before his death earlier this year.
Meanwhile, INEC said steps were taken to reduce disruptions caused by technical challenges involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the election.
The commission explained that backup BVAS machines were deployed across the seven local government areas to replace faulty devices whenever technical issues occurred. Technical personnel were also stationed in the affected areas to quickly restore the accreditation process and prevent delays.
INEC officials stated that the backup arrangements helped address the challenges recorded in a few polling units and ensured that voting continued with minimal interruption.
The commission added that the measures formed part of efforts to improve election management and provide a smoother voting experience for residents who participated in the bye-election.