Politics
ANPP Assures On Peace, Unity
The National Chairman of All Nigeria Peoples Party (ANPP),
Chief Ogbonnaya Onu, says the party is committed to the unity and peaceful
co-existence of Nigerians.
He made this known in Abuja recently when the Nigerian Youth
Summit Group (NYSG) visited him.
Onu said the party was ready to work with the group to
redeem the image and the lost glory of the country.
He expressed regret that since independence, the country had
faced challenges, which rather than being addressed, became even worse.
He said that Nigeria needed a change which could only be
achieved through the youths who were filled with love, enthusiasm, commitment,
and eager to contribute their quotas to national development.
“ We believe that with the youths, the problem that the
country have today will be solved.
“ We are also happy that you are visiting us today at a time
when the nation is passing through a very difficult time.”
The ANPP chairman assured the group of its total support in
whatever projects the NYSG wanted to embark upon, provided it was for the unity
of the country.
He described Nigeria as a great country that was supposed to
lead not only Africa but the world as a whole.
According to him, this is because of the abundant natural
resources which if properly utilised can make Nigeria one of the best countries
in the world.
He said it was regrettable that virtually all the sectors
had collapsed, especially in the areas of health and education, people now go
abroad for medical treatment and to further their studies.
“ We in ANPP have been calling on all Nigerians to give us
the necessary support, many of the problems confronting the nation are self inflicted
and the problems can be solved.
“ Nigeria can be united and prosperous, that is why we are
calling on Nigerians to give us the support to reposition the country for the
betterment of Nigerians,” he said
In his remarks, the Chairman of the group, Mr Abdullahi
Abdulmajeed, said the group was dedicated to the oneness of Nigeria,
irrespective of the diverse socio-political, ethnic, religious background of
Nigerians.
According to him, Nigeria is faced with challenges ranging
from insecurity, corruption, kidnapping and robbery, which he noted, were not
the case in the past.
He, however, urged the Federal Government to tackle these
menace head long, especially the security challenges.
He said the group’s concern was to rise up and cooperate
with the federal government in its transformational agenda.
The Commission disclosed the figure in its weekly update for week 14 of the second phase of the exercise, which ended on Friday, April 17, 2026.
According to the breakdown, 2,259,288 Nigerians completed their registration through the online pre-registration portal, while 1,489,416 finalized their registration physically at designated centres nationwide.
INEC noted that the figures remain preliminary and are subject to further verification and data cleaning processes to ensure accuracy ahead of the consolidation of the national voter register.
With the conclusion of the registration phase, the Commission has now shifted focus to the display of the Register of Voters for Claims and Objections, a statutory stage aimed at strengthening the credibility and integrity of the voters register.
The display exercise is scheduled to hold from April 29 to May 5, 2026, across designated centres nationwide, providing citizens the opportunity to verify their details and raise objections where necessary.
The Commission urged all registered voters from the concluded phase to take advantage of the exercise to confirm the accuracy of their information and assist in identifying ineligible entries, including duplicate registrations, deceased persons, and non-citizens.
INEC explained that the Continuous Voter Registration exercise is being conducted in phases, with the first phase running from August 18 to December 10, 2025, while the second phase commenced on January 5, 2026 and ended on April 17, 2026.
The Commission further stated that the date for the commencement of the third phase will be announced in due course.
Reaffirming its commitment to credible elections, INEC stressed that maintaining a clean and accurate voter register remains central to ensuring free, fair, and transparent electoral processes in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, informed the journalists that the dialogue was sponsored by the European Union, under the auspices of the EU-Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN II), Component 4: Support to Media.
According to the veteran media practitioner, the programme is aimed at strengthening the capacity of the media to promote credible elections through factual, accurate and fair reporting.
He explained that the programme is part of a broader five-year intervention designed to support democratic governance and improve the role of the media in Nigeria’s electoral process, stressing that fact-checking and inclusive reporting are critical responsibilities for journalists, especially during electioneering.
He described the media as a central role agent with regard to upholding transparency and accountability in the democratic process.
A resource person and Director of Journalism Clinic, Lagos, Mr Taiwo Obe, enjoined journalists to embrace the evolving technology so that they would not be in the backwaters in the practice of the profession.
He advised journalists not to downplay Artificial Intelligence (AI) in their bid to remain relevant in the media environment by being abreast of the changing patterns of news consumption.
The journalism teacher explained that with digital transformation of the media industry, it had become imperative for journalists to constantly upgrade and update their skills, stressing the fundamental place of attitude and self-development and underscored the dynamic nature of media consumption in the digital age, thereby compelling journalists to embrace tools and platforms, but without much reliance on AI.
In his lecture, a Professor of Mass Communication at the Federal University Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE), Adebola Aderibigbe, advised journalists in Ekiti State to ensure that coverage of the upcoming governorship poll is issue-based rather than dwelling on personalities.
He added that sensationalism should not occupy the front-burner of any discussions concerning the 2026 election, admonishing that sustenance of democracy is anchored on responsible journalism.
”Journalists must prioritise accuracy, fairness and balance in their reports by verifying facts and giving all parties involved in political matters the opportunity to present their views”, he said.
According to the university don, the election will not be defined by personalities, but by issues. ”Let issues be the pivotal ring upon which every discussion should be made. Sensationalisation of issues should not be the bedrock of discussions in the 2026 election”, he added.
“Do not hear from Party A without hearing from Party B, otherwise the report will be skewed to one side and once issues of elections are skewed, problems will naturally arise”, he stressed.