Politics
Wike, Ekweremadu, Akpabio Eulogise Sekibo
Last week’s curtain raiser was Mothering Sunday. Wife of the State Governor, Justice Suzette Nyesom-Wike and the Deputy Governor were at Upper Room Anglican Church, Eligbolo in Eliozu Evo Diocese to celebrate with other mothers.
Justice Nyesom-Wike, represented by Commissioner for Women Affairs, Mrs Ukel Oyaghiri advocated for improved welfare for the womenfolk. She said time has come for women to be given chance to show their leadership qualities. A woman can manage a home, a state and a country “, she stressed.
In a special message to mark this year’s Mother’s Day, the Rivers State Governor’s wife observed that society would have been significantly smaller, cooler and ill-mannered without contributions of mothers.
According to her, Mother’s Day is a celebration of the bond of love and affection between a mother and her child, noting that it’s a day when the society recognises the significant roles of mothers.
Last Monday, the state Governor Chief Nyesom Wike, through his deputy, Dr. Ipalibo Harry Banigo, flagged off the first round of the immunisation plus days (IPDs) at the Primary Healthcare Centre, Churchill Rod, Port Harcourt.
Governor Wike emphasised the importance of routine immunisation exercise for children and expressed the commitment of the government to ensure that children and mothers are in good health.
Last Tuesday, the deputy governor, Dr Ipalibo Harry-Banigo made award presentations to some youths, as a way of encouraging excellence. One Dr Nkiruka Vivian Ogmuegbu got the award following her performance as one of the best students in the University of Port Harcourt College of Health Sciences.
Last Wednesday, the deputy governor felicitated with Senator George Thompson Sekibo on his 60th birthday anniversary.
In the words of Dr Harry-Banigo, “Sekibo has distinguished himself as a serving senator, a prover leader, selfless and hardworking”, she pointed out that the Ogu born Senator has displayed effective representation of his people at the National Assembly. She wished him a purposeful diamond jubilee birthday.
Last Thursday, wife of the State Governor attended the 29th Convocation Lecture of Rivers State University of Science and Technology.
She noted that the University’s faculty of law has contributed to quality manpower in legal practice in the country.
Justice Nyesom-Wike stated that the university was undergoing tremendous development in infrastructure, especially under Chief Nyesom-Wike for instance, under the present administration the faculty of law building was completed.
Chief Wike, last Saturday, in company of top state dignitaries, attended the 29th convocation ceremony of the Rivers State University.
At the convocation, Wike announced that the university has seized to bear the name of Science and Technology, and therefore urged the school management to finetune their academic blueprint to reflect global standard.
The governor while pledging to ensure that programmes of the university get 100 percent accreditation, however frowned at some of the ongoing projects and called for speedy work toward the newly established. College of Health Sciences.
From the university convocation, the governor proceeded to the 60th birthday celebrations and book launch of Senator Thompson Sekibo at Presidential Hotel. He praised the intellectual enterprise of the Senator and pledged government support. Deputy Senate President Mr Ekweremadu, Senator Godwill Akpabio, Senator Lawan and other dignitaries graced the occasion and wished Sekibo more years.
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.