Politics
APC’s Cole Doesn’t Exist After Court Judgement – PDP
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has said that Tonye Cole, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Rivers State no longer exists after Monday’s Federal High Court judgement which nullified all congresses conducted by the opposition party in the state.
PDP chairman in Rivers State, Felix Obuah who stated this in a statement issued by his media aide, Jerry Needam in Port Hacourt, described a recent remark against the State Governor, Nyesom Wike by spokesman of the State APC’s campaign, Ogbonna Nwuke as a mere outburst.
Obuah said as long as the judgement of the High Court judgment which nullified the congress that produced Mr Cole that has not been set aside, his candidature no longer exists.
The statement reads, “Mr Ogbonna Nwuke, a self-acclaimed spokesman for a party’s campaign organisation and candidate that does not exist by reason of a High Court judgment that has not been set aside, as a mere outburst.”
He said it is regrettable that Nwuke who ought to be more civilised in his approach to issues as a member of the respected ink and pen fraternity has allowed himself to be ‘infected and blindfolded’ in his bid to find relevance.”
The State PDP Chairman however advised Nwuke to learn how to talk about his superiors and leaders with some respect, decency and most importantly, imbibe the spirit of humility.
The statement further advised him to put his emotions in check while seeking relevance as an election casualty that has left him apparently demoralised.
“My first thought after reading the junk written by Nwuke against the people’s Governor was not to join issues with him because I understand his frustrations after he was rejected by his own people in the attempt to return to the House of Representatives for the second time to no avail.
“But to put the records straight and educate Mr Nwuke who has since relocated to Abuja to feed on the crumbs from his master’s tables, Governor Wike has made history in the governance of Rivers State, having fulfilled all his promises before, during and after the elections which have earned him unprecedented accolades and attracted awards nationally and internationally.
“His developmental strides traverse all sectors of the State economy, notably the education, health, judiciary, infrastructure, human Capital and so on,” he said.
The State PDP chairman noted that under Governor Wike administration, security has received top attention which accounts for the low rate of crime across the State compared to what the situation was under the immediate past administration.
Obuah noted that infrastructurally, Wike’s administration has performed far more than past administration and therefore advised Nwuke to put aside political sentiments and appreciate these rare landmark developments brought to the State by Wike.
“It is only when Ogbonna Nwuke has shown sufficient proof that he has grown above these infantile sentiments can he say something and have some audience from the more enlightened Rivers people”, Bro Obuah stated.
Dennis Naku
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.