Politics
RVHA Moves to Check Destitutes
The Rivers State House of Assembly (RVHA) say it will revisit the state’s Social Rehabilitation Law to check the increasing population of both beggars and persons living with disabilities on the streets of Port Harcourt and its environs.
Speaker of the House, Rt Hon. Ikuinyi-Owaji Ibani who disclosed this, Tuesday, during the Assembly’s interactive session with Saint Andrew Anglican Church Mile I, Diobu Port Harcourt, decried the influx of insane persons and criminals into the city.
The speaker, who was accompanied by Hon. Victor Ihunwo representing Obio/Akpor Constituency III, and Adonye Diri, representing Opobo/Nkoro Constituency, at the interactive session urged the church to use the Easter period to pray fervently for the state and its leadership to overcome forces that are inimical to the ongoing developmental strides in the state.
Acknowledging the developmental strides of Governor Nyesom Ezenwo Wike in the state, Ibani assured that churches across the state would not be left out of the dividends of democracy.
He commended the church delegation led by the Vicar Ven. Boma Briggs for realizing the importance of the legislative arm in the development of the society.
The speaker also lauded the church for appreciating Governor Wike’s outstanding performance, saying that truth, in most cases, hardly arrives at its destination early.
Remarking that, God sent Governor Wike to Rivers’ people, he noted that in less than two years the governor has virtually changed the face of Rivers State in terms of developmental projects.
On the spate of criminal activities around the church premises, the speaker said the assembly would liaise with the security agencies to ensure a conducive environment for worshippers around the area especially, during the celebrations.
Ibani assured the church of his support for its upcoming harvest saying that he will continue to work for God who delivered him as member and speaker of the State House of Assembly.
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.