Politics
PDP Mourns Ex-Lawmaker, Nsirim
The Rivers State
Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bro. Felix Obuah, has described the death of Hon Ovunda Nyeche Omunakwe Nsirim, who passed on recently as shocking.
The state PDP boss described the death of Hon Ovunda Nsirim former member of the House of Representatives and son of the Apiti of Rumueme, HRH Nyenweli Omunakwe Nsirim as a great loss, not just to the party but to Rivers State and the country as a whole.
Recounting the contributions of the late Nsirim to the evolution of the P.D.P in the state, Bro Obuah added that the party has lost a rare gem, nothing that the vacuum he has left would be hard to fill.
Obuah, who stated these, when he led a delegation of the party’s enlarged state executive council to the palace of the Apiti of Rumueme, HRH Nyenweli Omunakwe Nsirim, lamented the death of the former lawmaker, regretting that it came at a time when the party he helped to nurture has stabilized and advanced the dividends of democracy to the people of Rivers State.
The State P.D.P Chairman wished he lived longer to reap his fruit of the labour in helping to nurture a virile party, adding that the party would not question God who chose to recall him as such prime time when his services to the party and the state were still needed.
Obuah assured the Rumueme Monarch that the Late Nsirim deserved a befitting burial and pledged the readiness of P.D.P to support the family in the burial.
He described the P.D.P as a united family, where injury to one is considered injury to all, adding, “we live by the Christian injunction to rejoice with each other and also mourn when one of our own mourns”.
Responding, the Apiti of Rumueme, HRH Nyenweli Omunakwe Nsirim expressed gratitude to the visit saying that he felt encouraged by the show of love as demonstrated by the Bro Obuah and the enlarged party Exco in the state.
The Monarch described his late son as a hard working and highly resourceful person. He enjoined the P.D.P Chairman and his team not to relent in their efforts in rebuilding the state, which was mismanaged by the Amaechi administration.
The Royal father assured the state P.D.P of his commitment and readiness to support them in the advancement of the state.
Victor Tew/Enoch Epelle
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.