Politics
Boosting Voter Education Ahead Of 2015 Polls
The Independent Na
tional Electoral Commission (INEC) and other relevant organisations are not leaving any stone unturned in the quest to boost voter education ahead of the 2015 polls.
To this end, a National Inter-agency Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (NICVEP), has been set up to beef-up voter education campaign.
According to a recent statement signed by Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzi, INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, the members are drawn from 15 organisations.
The organisations are: INEC, National Orientation Agency (NOA), News Agency of Nigeria, Nigerian Television Authority, Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Nigeria Labour Congress, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Federal Ministry of Information, among others.
Osaze-Uzi said that the committee to be headed by the National Commissioner in Charge of INEC Information and Publicity Committee would ensure effective dissemination of information and enlightenment of the electorate for credible elections in 2015.
In order to keep the electorate informed about its activities, INEC recently brought to public domain, timetable for the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and Continuous Voter Registration.
The first phase of the distribution of the PVCs and Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) which started in 10 selected states in May, would be carried out throughout the country in phases.
The states covered under the first phase were: Taraba, Gombe Zamfara, Kebbi, Benue, Kogi, Abia, Enugu, Akwa Ibom and Bayelsa
The second phase of the exercise which covers 11 states and the FCT commences from Friday, July 18 to Sunday, July 27.
The states are: Yobe, Bauchi, Jigawa, Sokoto, FCT, Kwara , Anambra, Ebonyi , Ondo, Oyo, Delta and Cross River
The third phase which commences on Friday, Aug.22 and ends on Sunday, Aug. 31 covers Adamawa, Borno, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Plateau, Nasarawa, Niger, Imo, Lagos, Ogun, Edo and Rivers
Mr Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to INEC Chairman, in a statement urged voters to cross-check their names in the displayed voter register.
He also advised those who registered before but did not see their names in the displayed voter register to re-register during the continuous voter registration.
According to Idowu, those who may change location are expected to write to the Resident Electoral Commissioner in their new states of domicile, “well before the election, as no transfer will be approved less than 30 days to the election’’.
For those who lost their cards or whose cards were damaged, he said they should apply for replacement in writing, addressed to the Resident Electoral Commissioner through the INEC Electoral Officer of the Local Government Area where they registered.
INEC is also not relenting in sensitising voters in Ekiti and Osun, ahead of the June 21 and Aug. 9 governorship elections respectively.
Prof. Lai Olurode, INEC National Commissioner in-charge of South West, advised politicians to accept the outcome of the governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti, whichever way the results tilt.
“Politicians must have a positive mindset that they want to go into elections; they must have the spirit of sportsmanship and not the spirit of winning at all cost because what they want to do is for the good of their state.’’
According to him, INEC has been doing a lot on voter education to restrain people from resorting to violence.
The INEC commissioner advised that election campaign should be issue-based and not about personalities, adding that if this was done, violence would be avoided.
The commissioner also stressed need for people not to misplace their voter cards.
He warned against voters selling their cards, adding that quality leaders would only emerge through transparent voting.
Olurode urged security agencies to be alert to their responsibilities, adding that INEC alone cannot secure an electoral process.
“We need the cooperation of every security agent to deliver a credible free and transparent election.
“Security operators must not give in to any compromise under any circumstances; they must be the agent of the rule of law and not the agent of powerful politicians who are not interested in any free election,’’ he said.
Mr Solomon Akaya, National Coordinator, Men and Women of Action Campaign Team, a non-governmental organisation, appealed to NOA and other stakeholders to upscale sensitisation, ahead of the 2015 general elections.
He said that the 2015 elections were crucial to Nigeria’s unity, progress and socio-economic development.
Akaya said that mass participation of eligible voters in the elections would enhance the credibility of the 2015 polls.
“The National Orientation Agency and other government agencies responsible for voter education should begin to sensitise Nigerians on why they should participate in the 2015 elections.
“Mass participation through voting during the elections will be a good indication of how democracy has deepened in Nigeria,’’ he said.
“Elected officials on the platform of a party who decamp to another party while in office are shortchanging the electorate who voted them into office,’’ he said.
On his part, Mr Mike Omeri, the Director-General of NOA, said the agency would partner with INEC to ensure free and fair elections in 2015.
He said that NOA would continue to work with INEC in the area of voter education, adding that their partnership would extend beyond election period.
Analysts want INEC to provide the necessary tools to the National Inter-agency Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity, to enable it perform.
The selected bodies are tested in public enlightenment and will deliver if given the desired backing.
Chijioke Writes from News Agency of Nigeria (NAN)
Chijioke Okoronkwo
Politics
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar

A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.
The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.
It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.
Politics
Tinubu’s Contribution To Buhari’s Presidency Marginal – Ex-SGF

For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.
He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.
Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.
In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.
According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.
“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.
“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.
Politics
Your Lies Chasing Investors From Nigeria, Omokri Slams Obi
Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.
Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.
“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.
“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.
To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.
“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.
-
Business23 hours ago
Cassava Flour Initiative Revival Can Up Economy By ?255b – COMAFAS
-
Women1 day ago
What To Know About Fufu, Loi Loi
-
Niger Delta23 hours ago
Don Highlights On The Potential Of Groundwater As Hidden Wealth For Sustainable Future
-
Rivers24 hours ago
Group Seeks Prosecution Of Clergy, Others Over Attempted Murder
-
Opinion22 hours ago
Restoring Order, Delivering Good Governance
-
Business23 hours ago
CRG Partner JR Farms To Plant 30m Coffee Seedlings
-
Sports1 day ago
Eagles B Players Admit Pressure For CHAN Qualification
-
Niger Delta23 hours ago
NDLEA Intercepts 584.171kg Hard Drugs In Bayelsa … Arrests 559 Suspects