Politics
Wike Clarifies Position On VP Ambition
Issues relating to the forth coming National Convention of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) billed to hold in Port Harcourt between 5th and 6th October 2018 took a centre stage last week in Government House, Port Harcourt.
The Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike, clarified his position on speculations going round in some quarters that he was secretly harbouring ambition for the Vice President Position in the 2019 election, and that he also influenced choice of Port Harcourt as venue for the PDP National Convention.
Making the clarification, Thursday while speaking with “The Osasu Show” at Government House, Port Harcourt, the governor explained that though some presidential aspirants have offered him such position while consulting with him but that he had always objected to it.
He said the national Chairman of PDP, Prince Uche Secondus, comes from the same state and geo-political zone, hence it would not be in the interest of Rivers State for him to seek that position.
“Not even in the dream will I seek that position at this point. I am a first term governor and the national chairman of PDP is from my state and the South South “, the governor said, adding that he would not do anything against the interest of Rivers State.
Commenting on the choice of Port Harcourt as venue for the national convention, Wike said the decision was initiated without his knowledge. He said he only attended a meeting where governors and presidential aspirants eventually ratified the resolution.
“But if they want, the national convention can be held at Maiduguri, Yola, Sokoto, Jigawa, Kano or any other city. A presidential aspirant that would loose would loose”. He attributed the allegation to those he described as moles amongst the aspirants.
Governor Wike announced some mouth-watering cash prizes to participants and winners of the 2018 edition of the Chief Justice of Nigeria Sports competition during the opening ceremony of the competition, Wednesday, at the Sharks Football Stadium Port Harcourt.
He promised each of the participating teams the sum of N5 million and cash prize of N20 million to best term. To the teams that would emerge second and third, the Governor promised them N15 million and N10 million respectively.
Wike, who lauded the Judiciary for the sports competition, noted that apart from litigations for which the judiciary was known for, there was need for them to get involved in sporting events and other recreational activities.
Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Walter Onoghen declared that Governor Wike was the best governor in terms of giving support to the Judiciary. The CJN, who was represented at the event by Justice Sidi Bage, while commending the governor, urged other states to emulate what he called “the wonderful example of Rivers State”.
At the opening ceremony, which saw Team Rivers loosing to Supreme Court Team, by a lone goal, the late Attorney-General of Rivers State, Hon Emmanuel Aguma (SAN) was given a posthumous award for outstanding support to National Judiciary Games.
During the week under review, the Brick House hosted the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki and his Presidential Campaign Organisation on Thursday.
At the meeting, Gov Wike charged the National Assembly to pass the Electoral Act and that if Mr President objects to accenting to the Act, the Lawmakers should not pass the INEC budget. He said: “Once the Electoral Act is passed, if it is not assented to, I urge you people not to pass the INEC budget because INEC budget is based on the Electoral Act. I urged that these things must be taken together.
According to him, as leader of the National Assembly Saraki should do all he could for the Electoral Act to be passed.
Wike also called on PDP delegates from across the country not to elect a disparate person as the party’s presidential aspirant.
Chris Oluoh
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.