Politics
‘Two-Party System’ll Eradicate Rigging’
The National Chairman of Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd.), has called for a two-party political system, saying “it will eliminate the rigging of elections”.
He made the call in an interview with newmen on Sunday in Abuja .
“A two-party system is the best for this country, because it kills politics of region, ethnicity and religion as we witnessed during the era of the defunct Social Democratic Party (SDP) and National Republican Convention (NRC).
“Issues such as zoning will not come to play in a two-party system, because the system will be capable of producing the best candidates, irrespective of their heterogeneous political backgrounds,” Magashi said.
He said “the rigging elite” would not be able to perpetrate electoral sharp practices with the two-party system.
The former Commandant of the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) in Kaduna said it was rather unfortunate the way most Nigerians clamour for political parties’ formation.
“They have been doing so because of their selfish interests which they have allowed to supersede the overall interests of the nation.
“There should be a limit to registration of parties, because some political parties are only out to bargain positions and collect money for the purpose of adopting one candidate or the other during elections,” he said.
Magashi said a two-party state would further ensure the supremacy of party over the party members who occupy positions.
He commended INEC for starting the process of de-listing some political parties, saying there is the need to build few political parties with ideological perspectives.
“This will further make people to contribute fervently to party development, thereby enhancing supremacy of party leadership above elected members.
“The idea of jumping from one political party to another whenever there are disagreements would also be eliminated.
“A number of politicians feel that, with their resources, they can jump to any party and will still make impact whenever there is a disagreement in the other party. This is wrong,” the DPP leader said.
On the 51st independence anniversary, Magashi said there was every need to celebrate it because it marked the day Nigeria was politically emancipated from colonial masters.
According to him, “the rallying point of our unity commenced from that day, hence we need to showcase a viable and elaborate celebration that will depict honour. For me, there is no better day like October 1 in Nigeria.
“What binds us together is unity in diversity and we know each one’s weaknesses and strengths, and that calls for the
celebration of this anniversary,” he said.
The DPP national chairman also challenged the political elite to exhibit patriotism through service to the nation, rather than propagating corruption which hinders national development.
“It is unfortunate that people who do not have anything doing can go to their enclaves and start creating mischief,” he said.
Magashi decried the level of value placed on money, saying it has made Nigerians to forget so many things which would have made them proud of their nation like US citizens.
“The love of money is so prevalent in our society, and it is difficult to effect a change because many people will not allow you to change the existing structure,” he said.
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.
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