Politics
New CTC Members Ready For Swearing-In
Calm returned to Government House Port Harcourt
at the weekend following news of release of Mr. Freddy Ndigbara, a compere for Governor Chibuike Amaechi, who was abducted at an APC Ward rally at Kaani I in Khana Local Government Area, by unknown gunmen.
The top compere in Government House had been in the hands of his abductors until the early morning of Saturday when he was set free. He is now recuperating in a health facility after the ordeal in the hands of the hoodlums.
Recall that earlier in the week, Governor Amaechi had blamed political detractors for the kidnap of Mr. Ndigbara who with Celestine Akpobari were able to convert over 5,000 members of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.
The Governor pointed out that there was nothing wrong or extraordinary in what his aide did since the country was in a political setting where the electorates are being wooed from one political party to another.
“Of course, Freddy Ndigbara’s abduction is politically-motivated. We are aware that Ndigbara, in league with Celestine Akpobari, was able to convert 5,000 PDP members to APC.”
“There is nothing wrong or extraordinary in what he did, because we are in a political setting where the in thing now is to win political converts. Winning new converts was what Freddie did before he was kidnapped,” the governor said.
The governor however appealed to the captors of his aide to release him unconditionally, insisting that Ndigbara meant no harm to anybody as an APC member.
As a follow-up to series of meetings of APC stakeholders in Government House, over the new Caretaker Committee members in the 21 local government areas, the Rivers State House of Assembly commenced and concluded screening of the new CTC members, last week.
Some of the CTC members who are yet to be sworn-in by Governor Amaechi spoke to Government House correspondents on their mission and promised to ensure peaceful polls in their domain.
Incoming CTC Chairmen of Opobo/Nkoro Local Government Area, Lovday M. Jaja, said he would focus on empowering the people and urged citizens of the area, especially members of APC to remain peaceful even in the face of provocation.
On his part, re-appointed CTC chairman of Port Harcourt City Local Government Area, Nnamdi Wuche, promised to provide peaceful atmosphere ahead of the elections, this month. He promised to work with security agencies to ensure violence-free polls.
OIn the delay over the commencement of the Mile 1 Phase II Market, he revealed that contract had been signed and promised that work would soon commence on site.
Similarly, Fenibo jack of Akuku-Toru promised to strengthen security in the riverine local government area, “we are going to surpass achievements of the previous administration,” he added.
The CTC members are expected to be sworn-in this week by Governor Amaechi.
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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