Politics
Senator Denies APC Membership
Senator Solomon Ewuga from Nasarawa State has declared that he still remained a bonafide member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
This is contained in a statement signed by his Media Consultant, Mr Danjuma Joseph, last Sunday at Akun, Nasarawa Eggon Local Government Area of Nasarawa state.
Ewuga, a former deputy governor of the state and one time minister of state for FCT, urged his supporters to disregard speculations that he had dumped the PDP or defected to another political party.
According to the statement, the rumour is a figment of the imagination of the peddlers and reassured that he is still in the PDP.
“In the past few days, Distinguished Senator Solomon Ewuga has been inundated with calls from friends and political associates seeking clarification on the rumours of his departure from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
“One wonders how Senator Ewuga could be expected to quit a house he jointly built with other patriots since 1999.
“It is true that enormous pressure was brought to bear on Senator Ewuga to move to another party because of the glaring injustice meted out on him during the recent PDP primaries.
“Senator Ewuga wishes to maintain his earlier stand that he would not defect at this critical period that his party, PDP, needs his attention and support.
“For those who know Senator Ewuga very well over the years, his struggles are usually not about his own person but equity, justice and fairness for all, especially the downtrodden masses of Nasarawa state.
“Let it be known that his path in politics is in the hands of the Almighty God, who has indeed been very faithful and gracious to him. He is very grateful to God for this,” the statement read in part.
It also explained that Ewuga’s vision in politics was a system that works for everybody, “a social and political environment where everybody, every section, and every tribe not only counts, but is also seen to count’’.
“Leaders must be mindful of this, for any system built on anything less will not endure,’’ the statement emphasised.
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.