Politics
RSIEC Set For ONELGA Polls
The Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission has warned that the commission will not condone any form of electoral malpractices that will jeopardise the Ogba/ Egbema/ Ndoni/ Local Government election tomorrow.
The Chairman and Chief Electoral Officer,of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission,Prof Augustine Ahiazu, who gave the warning on Thursday while briefing journalists,said the Commission has the madate to ensure that voters are neither distracted nor disturbed from freely exercising their franchise through their votes.
Prof Ahiazu noted that the commission can not be under influence of any body, authorities or parties,urged political leaders in Onelga, to refrain from violence and all forms of electoral malpractices.
The chairman explained that 126,660 registered voters would exercise their right to choose who will be their councillor and chairman,adding that elections will hold in all the 17 wards that make up the Ogba/Egbema/Ndoni/local Government Area.
He said the procedure of the elections on Saturday would be the same as that of the Re- run and bye elections last weekend.
The commission said it has secured permission from the state Sanitation Authorities to exempt Ogba/ Egbema/ Ndoni/Local Government Area from next month’s sanitation which holds on Saturday.
According to him,movement within the local government area will be restricted from 10pm on Friday 1st March to 6.00am on Saturday 2nd March,2013.
“People will move freely to various units where their names appear,for the purpose of accreditation which will commence at 9 a.m. and end 12 pm.Voting proper will commence by 12 .30 p.m. and end when the last voter on the accredited voters line must have voted”,he said.
On security, Prof Ahiazu said the commission would deploy 1,500 personnel and would make use of 1,234 adhoc staff who have been trained and motivated for the exercise.
He, however, said the elections are being contested by 120 candidates representing 23 political parties in the state.
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.