Politics
RVHA Moves To Promote Excellence
Rivers State House of Assembly has disclosed plans to reward
hardwork and excellence in legislative business for past and serving members
that distinguished themselves from October 1979 when the Assembly was
proclaimed.
The Speaker of the House Rt. Hon. Otelemaba Amachree, stated
this Thursday in Port Harcourt at a lunch time-out and corporate parley
organised by the Assembly to raise funds for the premier Red Carpet event
coming up in September 2012.
Hon. Amachree said lawmakers are the most unsung Partners in
the democratic venture hence the decision of the House to encourage themselves
and their predecessors that rendered highly valuable services to the state.
The speaker hinted that the state House of Assembly has been
adjudged the best state Assembly for its peaceful and harmonious relationship
with other arms of government, noting that the Seventh Assembly values the
existing cordial relationship that promotes mutual respect.
He recalled that the State Governor being a product of the
legislature from 1999 to 2007, was the speaker when the Assembly achieved most
of its landmark milestone in legislative business, stressing that the luncheon
was to raise funds to celebrate these laudable achievements.
Hon. Amachree urged their corporate friends and other
stakeholders in the state to partner with them through sponsorship of different
aspects of the programme which include stakeholder’s Praise Carnival and Award Nite.
He commended the House Committee on Information and Training
for driving the concept in Partnership with Vox Nigeria, adding that the
success of the event will again make the state Assembly blaze a new trail in
the conduct of legislative business in the country.
The Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Amaechi who was
represented by his Deputy Tele Ikuru, said the legislature and the executive
have been working cooperatively for the benefit of the state.
He noted that dialogue rather than confrontation have
remained the secret of their good working relationship.
The state Chief Executive observed that recognising those
that have excelled in public service is a good programme particularly for that the initiative is the first of its kind
and announced the readiness of the state government to partner with the
lawmakers.
Chairman House Committee on Information and Training Hon.
Onari Brown, said the programme is to honour outstanding lawmakers in the
state, pointing out that the luncheon was not to beg money but allow interested
persons to partner with the House in realising the objective.
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.