Politics
Council Boss Lauds APC Defectors
The Caretaker Committee Chairman of the Asari Toru Local Government Council (ASALGA), Hon Wright Promise Warmate has lauded defectors from the All Progressive Congress (APC) to the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)in ASALGA and Degema local Government Area (DELGA).
Expressing appreciation, Warmate said: the mass defections to the PDP are attracted by the unprecedented performance of Governor Wike who has performed”.
He described the leadership acumen of Wike and the State Chairman of the PDP, Bro Felix Obuah, as transformative and accommodating to all well meaning entrants, declaring that the enabling environment created for new comers will be sustained in Asari-Toru and all over the state for consolidation and assured victory for the party at all levels in future elections.
Speaking at the PDP Secretariat in Port Harcourt where the decampees were received on Thursday, the leader of the APC decampees and former leader of the Asari-Toru Legislative Assembly, Hon. Orolosoma Amachree accused Amaechi of coercing all ‘elected’ Chairmen and Councilors of the APC into instituting legal action against the Wike government as a gimmick to make the state ungovernable.
Amachree whose scores of supporters turned the occasion into gyration amid singing and dancing, condemned the violent activities of former Chairman of ASALGA, Ojukaye Flag Amachree, noting that he had plunged the area into crisis which caused his followers to flee to Abuja where they hoped to get succour from Rotimi Amaechi.
“But when we met Amaechi, our leader in Abuja and told him of our predicament and requested his assistance to get accommodation, he bluntly told us: “If you don’t have accommodation why did you have to come to me. Am I the landlord of Abuja?”
He stated that these actions among others underscored their resolution to dump the APC which deceitfully promised to bring what he called a ‘fraudulent change’ to Nigerians.
“I was not convinced by anyone to decamp. No one gave me money and no one lobbied for me and my brothers and sisters to leave the APC. PDP was my root and because I was deceived to join the APC, I have retraced my steps and I am back home” , he said.
The Tide learnt that among those who joined Amachree to the PDP are the APC Assistant Women Leader in Asari Toru Local Government Area, Vice Chairman of APC, Hon. Briggs, Ward Exco members, and the DELGA Vice Chairman of APC in Degema Local Government Area, Hon. Samuel Ikiroma who stormed the PDP Secretariat with hundreds of supporters.
The soft-talking APC leader who handed his councillorship certificate of return to state PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah for destruction, said he was now enjoying genuine peace since he took the decision to dump the APC.
While receiving the decampees, Rivers PDP Chairman, Bro. Felix Obuah commended Governor Nyesom Wike for creating the enabling environment which had triggered the gale of defection of APC members into the PDP.
“If Governor Wike had not judiciously used the resources of the State to the benefit of all, there would not have been this strong conviction to join a progressive movement like the PDP.
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.