Politics
2015: Rivers S’East Demands Guber Slot
As major ethnic groups
in Rivers State battle to produce the next governor of the state in 2015, a socio-political group, the Rivers South-East Renaissance Movement, has appealed to the two other senatorial districts in the state to concede the governorship slot to the Rivers South-East.
The group which comprises of professionals drawn from various backgrounds at a news briefing in Port Harcourt on Tuesday, said it was in the spirit of fairness, equity and justice that the South-East Senatorial District be allowed to produce the next governor.
According to the group’s National Coordinator, Baruda Nwinang, “since the creation of Rivers State and the commencement of the present political dispensation in 1999, the area is yet to produce a governor.”
Nwinang said any attempt to deny the South East Senatorial District the number one office in the state would amount to injustice and oppression of the people of the zone.
He said “among the three senatorial districts in Rivers State, it is only the Rivers South-East Senatorial District that has not occupied the exalted office of the governor of Rivers State.
“We, as the people of Andoni, Eleme, Gokana, Khana, Opobo-Nkoro, Oyigbo and Tai local government areas, are earnestly appealing to the people of Rivers West and Rivers East senatorial districts to support us in our desire to produce the governor of Rivers State, come 2015.
“There are various shades of opinion and agitation for governor in Rivers Sate in 2015, geared toward ethnic orientation, either as Ijaw ethnic group, Ogoni project 2015, riverine or upland.
“The Rivers South-East Senatorial District fits into all the descriptions or requirements as may be canvassed. It is on record that we have not produced the governor of Rivers State.”
The group noted that Rivers West Senatorial District produced Governor Peter Odili while Rivers East produced Rufus Ada George, Celestine Omehia and Rt. Hon. Chibuke Amaechi as governors, saying, “It would be right, fair and equitable for the people of the Rivers South-East to produce the next governor of the state.
“The people of the South-East Senatorial District have always given unalloyed support to the Rivers West and Rivers East senatorial districts when they had the opportunity of occupying the office of he governor of Rivers State,” he said.
International observers during the governorship election in Ekiti State last Saturday.
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.