Politics

Rivers Assembly Gets SOS Over Stool

Published

11 years ago

August 28, 2015

L-R: APC Deputy National Chairman, South, Mr Segun Oni, National Auditor, Dr George Moghalu, APC National Chairman, Chief John Oyegun and Deputy National Chairman, North, Alhaji Lawan Shuaibu, during the APC National and State Auditors Workshop in Abuja, yesterday

As the Ad hoc Commit
tee on Chieftaincy of the Rivers State House of Assembly prepares to submit its report, the people of Ken-Khana Kingdom, have raised alarm over plans to downgrade its chieftaincy stool to second class.
The Ken-Khana people in khana Local Government Area of Rivers State raised the alarm and warned that the plan if carried out may create disaffections among the people.
They gave the warning recently in a communiqué issued after a meeting of Ken-Khana Kingdom Council of Traditional Rulers and Chiefs held in Kenwigbara district Council, following issues raised recently at the public hearing on the amendment to the chieftaincy law of Rivers State 2014.
The communiqué which was made available to The Tide and the Ad hoc Committee of the State House of Assembly, noted that Ken-Khana chieftaincy area is distinct and autonomous with its own administrative structure and status attached to the present incumbent ruler who was selected according to established procedures accepted by the people, adding that a submission by one Chief Suanu Baridam of Nyo-Khana Kingdom was misleading as they called on the State Assembly to discountenance the call to downgrade the stool of Kenwigbara.
The communiqué signed by Chief Ueyaagu Leyira, Chief Nwidag Anthony Bywhite, Chief Keenam B. Chris and the Secretary, Ken Khana Council of Chiefs, Chief Koko Stephen, explained that the stools of the Gbemene Ken Khana, Mene-Bua Bom, Mene Bua Baem, Mene Bua Yaasere and Mene Bua Kenwigbara were inexistence before the advent of colonial rule in Nigeria and were subsequently recognized by the Eastern Nigerian government and also accorded recognition as first class, second class and third class respectively by the Rivers State government.
The communiqué argued that there has not been acrimony among the incumbents on the status of any of the stools in the various communities of Ken-Khana Kingdom especially on the upgrading of the Kenwigbara stool to second class status, insisting that the incumbent, Mene Barile Y. Deebom, was duly selected, installed and coroneted by his people and given recognition by the Rivers State Government according to laid down rules and procedures of the laws and customs of the people.
The communiqué noted that the Gbenemene Ken Khana, HRM M.S.H Eguru Gbala 11 recommended the upgrading of the Kenwigbara stool to second class status and was accepted by the Rivers State Government.
According to him, “we are surprised that Mene-Bua Bangha, HRH Suanu Baridam who is from Nyo-Khana Kingdom area council whose area of jurisdiction does not extend outside his district council went on air and before the Committee on Chieftaincy Amendment Law 2015 of the Rivers State House of Assembly not only to cast aspersions on the status of kenwighara stool and its occupant, Mene Deebom with a view to deceiving the committee to down grade the stool”.
The communiqué, however, dismissed allegations that the elevation of the stool of kenwigbara to its present status has political motives, describing Chief Suanu Baridam’s submission as false, malicious, vexatious and capable of creating disharmony to satisfy his alter ego.
“We wonder why Suanu Baridam did not concentrate his energy on his Nyo-Khana Kingdom area where there is a new second class stool and was given recognition as Mene Bua Baa bringing the total number of tools to two than to dissipate his energies on denigrating the only one upgraded in ken-Khana area”.
The Communique however called on the state government and the state House of Assembly ad hoc committee to not only continue to recognize the kenwigbara stool as second class but to extend the upgrading exercise to Bua-Bom, Bua-Baen and Bua-Yaasere stools of Ken-Khana as second class.

Ike Wigodo

Politics

INEC To Display Voters Register April 29 As CVR Phase II Closes Nationwide

Published

3 days ago

April 20, 2026

The Tide

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the second phase of its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, recording a total of 3,748,704 completed registrations across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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.

Politics

Ekiti 2026: IPC Trains Journalists On Election Coverage

Published

3 days ago

April 20, 2026

The Tide

Ahead of the forthcoming 2026 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, the International Press Council (IPC), Lagos, last Friday, commenced a two-day stakeholders’ dialogue on credible election, as part of activities to train media professionals on the best approaches to the process.

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.

Politics

GROUP BLASTS ATIKU CRITICAL COMMENTS AGAINST JONATHAN … SAYS EX-VP CAREER ASPIRANT

Published

3 days ago

April 20, 2026

The Tide

The National Coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Project (GJLP ), Engr Juan Amechee, has described as unfortunate and revisionist, recent remarks by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who attributed governance challenges during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to inexperience.

The GJLP Coordinator and technocrat, in a statement, noted that the ex-Vice President’s claim was faulty and lacks merit, describing him as a ‘career presidential candidate’ who has repeatedly sought power without being tested at the highest level of national leadership.

“To describe Dr. Jonathan as inexperienced is a flight from reality. Before assuming the presidency, Jonathan served as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President, and Acting President.

“If this distinguished résumé qualifies as ‘inexperience,’ one wonders what standard the former Vice President considers adequate, perhaps his own record of serial aspirations which, by his own argument, should have translated into opportunity but has never been tested at the helm”, the group said.

Engr Amechee further noted that Alhaji Atiku lacks the tact to govern at the highest level, citing the political division and self-centeredness that have characterised his presence in every political party he has joined.

The statement captioned ‘Atiku’s Revisionism and Jonathan’s Records: a response to claims of inexperience’ read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the recent remarks by former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he attributed governance challenges during the Jonathan administration to inexperience.

“Ordinarily, such a claim would not merit a response because the truth is self-evident. However, when historical revisionism is presented as analysis, it becomes necessary to correct the record.

“It is unfortunate that this statement is coming from a career Presidential candidate who lacks the moral authority to speak about experience where globally respected leaders are discussing leadership.

“If experience is defined by being a serial Presidential candidate, a role he seemingly hopes to reprise in 2027, then one must ask why such experience has failed to translate into national leadership for him”.

The Statement added: “To describe Dr. Jonathan as ‘inexperienced’ is not only misleading, it is demonstrably false. Before assuming the presidency, he served as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice-President, and Acting President during the constitutional crisis following the illness of his former boss, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. If that résumé qualifies as “inexperience,” one wonders what standard the former Vice-President considers adequate.

“Throughout his years in politics, Atiku has shown a lack of the tact and experience required to govern at the highest level, proving to be a figure of political division in every party he finds himself.

“Jonathan presided over an administration with one of the most reform-driven periods in Nigeria’s history. Under his watch, Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy, attracted the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the continent, and kept inflation at a single digit”.

The group’s leader said data obtained from the World Bank indicated that Nigeria recorded its lowest poverty rate since 1999 under Dr Jonathan, saying the former President’s administration brought down poverty to 35.8%—making his tenure the most prosperous of the Fourth Republic.

“Jonathan’s achievements in agriculture were equally notable. In 2013, he was honoured by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in Rome for meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on hunger eradication well ahead of the 2025 target.

“Furthermore, a leader’s credibility is measured by their international influence. Nigeria has served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council only five times since 1960; remarkably, two of those terms occurred during Jonathan’s administration.

“Similarly, it was Jonathan who facilitated the emergence of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as the first Nigerian President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2015.

“On democracy, Jonathan set a standard that remains unmatched: he conceded power peacefully, placing national stability above personal ambition. That singular act, born of his far-reaching electoral reforms, did more to strengthen our democracy than decades of political rhetoric”, the GJLP said.

The Pro-Jonathan group noted that Nigerians were discerning enough to distinguish between those who have held power and delivered measurable progress, and those who have repeatedly sought it while offering retrospective critiques.

“Dr. Jonathan’s record is public, measurable, and enduring. No amount of convenient revisionism can erase it”, the group stated.

By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa