Politics
2nd Term ’Il Give My Constituency Leverage – Lawmaker
A member of the House of Representatives representing Bonny/Degema federal constituency, Dr. Sokonte Davies, says going to the House for a second term will give the constituency higher leverage in seeking a better deal for his people.
Davies who dropped the hint in an interview with newsmen in Port Harcourt said since the National Assembly respects the seniority of members, winning a second term mandate would give the constituency an edge over others in seeking a better deal for his constituents.
He explained that since the first four years was more or less a learning process, going to the House for a second term would boost his bargaining and lobbying capacity as he would not need to start all over again as a beginner or fresh lawmaker in the House.
The lawmaker who has been a strong voice of his constituency and the Niger Delta thanked his teeming supporters and all the delegates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) during the primary election in the constituency, and promised to give the constituency better and more quality representation if given a chance.
While appealing to his opponents particularly the aspirants who contested the PDP primaries in the constituency to sheathe their swords, and support his second term bid, he promised to carry everybody along in the constituency.
Describing the aspirants as his friends and brothers, the lawmaker urged them to put the primaries behind them and work for the victory of the party at the April polls.
“We are one party. We still have the general elections with other parties. It is time to reconcile and move forward. This is the time to talk to each other and move forward, not to generate bad blood,” he said.
Making an allusion to the Biblical David, Davies said even when David was crowned King in Israel, the rest of his brothers supported him, the same way he would want all the aspirants to support him.
He stressed the need for the PDP to put its house in order before the April general elections and mend fences with all aggrieved members, saying, the political game was never a winner takes it all situation in his constituency.
“It is the time for us to work together. We are one family. There are no winners and no losers. Let us show magnanimity. It is time to carry everybody along. We can do better,” he declared.
Donatus Ebi
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.