Politics
Group, Lawmakers Decry Subsidy Removal
Lagos lawmakers and the Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria (APBN), have reacted to the removal of petrol subsidy by the Federal Government, describing it as ill-timed and a painful pill.
While the lawmakers criticised it as unsuitable for now, the APBN called for the diversification of the country’s economy to cushion the hardship the subsidy removal would cause Nigerians.
Mr Segun Olulade, the Chairman, Lagos State House of Assembly Committee on Information, told The Tide that the removal should be differed in view of the security challenges facing the country.
“The fuel subsidy removal is not suitable at this critical period when Nigeria is facing serious security challenges.
“Some Nigerians are still nursing the wounds of bombings in some parts of the country; the President should take it easy with Nigerians, particularly at this celebration period.
“He should not add sorrow to the joy of many Nigerian celebrating the New Year,’’ he said.
Olulade said the old price regime should still hold sway since, according to him, the National Assembly has yet to ratify it.
“ Before embarking on the removal of the subsidy, necessary things should have been put in place,’’ the assemblyman added.
Another lawmaker, Mr Bolaji Yusuf (Mushin I) advised the government to address security challenges across the country.
“Removing the subsidy without finding solutions to threats to lives and property may not work,’’ he told The Tide.
Yusuf condemned the violence unleashed on the country by an Islamic sect, Boko Haram, saying killing of innocent souls particularly, during a church service on Christmas Day in Mambila, Niger, is callous.
He stressed: “The government should find urgent solutions to the menace caused by Boko Haram at this period and leave the subsidy for now”.
According to him, no foreign investor will stake his money where security of life and property are not guaranteed.
Yusuf, however, appealed to Nigerians not to take the laws into their hands in a bid to avenge the deaths of the innocent souls.
The President of APBN, Mr Segun Ajanlekoko, said the government should be proactive by putting in place measures that would alleviate the sufferings of the ordinary people.
He said the action might cause inflation and increase cost of production and unemployment.
“The Nigerian economy should be diversified. Agriculture should be promoted in all schools, colleges and universities, especially the faculties of agriculture.
“These institutions should be given annual targets of agricultural products production based on the local agricultural climates,” Ajanlekoko said in a statement.
He advised the government to engage unemployed graduates and school leavers in farming at all tiers of government.
“This will not only promote food sufficiency, but also generate revenue through food export,’’ 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.
