Politics
Accord Party Suffers Set Back In Rivers
Members of the Rivers State House of Assembly voting on the floor of the House, recently.
Indication emerged that with the joining of 43 political parties to form a Government of National Unity (GNU) with Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Rivers State, Accord Party may have suffered a set back in its struggle to gain relevance in the state.
Speaking at the inauguration of the Forum of Organised Opposition Political Parties at the weekend in Port Harcourt, Chief Davies Ikanya, chairman of the forum, stated that the body will provide a new improved opposition politics for the state.
Ikanya urged other remaining opposition political parties to join the unity government in order to deliver the state from political bondage.
He reasoned that the ruling party under Rt Hon Chuibuike Rotimi Amaechi has demonstrated cross-party friendship, which he said, should provide other political parties in the state to join hands to right the wrongs.
According to him, other opposition political parties should sheath their sword and build on the friendship already in existence in the PDP led administration in the state.
He commended the ruling party under the Rt. Hon Chibuike Amaechi for the wonderful work he is doing in virtually every facet of the people lives in the state.
Ikanya also outlined the aims of the Forum of Organised Opposition Political Party to restore glory and integrity of the state by encouraging participatory true democracy.
Also speaking, the Secretary to the State Government, Hon Magnus Abe assured the organised opposition political parties that the government is ready to consider nomination from the opposition when the executive council is reconstituted.
Abbe, who represented the state governor commended the forum of organised opposition political parties for joining the GNU, adding that, the government will cooperate to guarantee an enviable democratic environment, where one-man one-vote counts.
He called on the orgainsed opposition political parties to partner with the government to ensure free and fair election in future.
The Tide gathered that the forum of organised opposition political parties was born on 26th April, 2009, when political parties under the auspices of the coalition of Registered Political Parties in Rivers State led by Chief Alaye Harry and those under the auspices conference on Nigerian Political Parties (CNPP) led by Chief Tamuno Roberts, came together to discuss the prospect of electoral loss, unity government and the need to stimulate cooperation among opposition political parties.
The gathering was a role call of who is who in the political arena in the state. The political Big Wigs include Prince Tonye J.T.J. Princewill, leader and Chairman of Board of Trustees, Chief Davies Ibiama Ikanya, Barr. Ledum Mittee, (Chairman/Technical Committee on Niger Delta), Chairmen of political parties and members of political parties across the 23 local government areas.
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.