Politics
…Reject Motion To Change Name Of Apo Legislators’ Quarters
The House of Representatives on Wednesday rejected a motion urging the Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) to change the Name, “Apo Legislators Quarters” to reflect current realities.
This followed a motion by Rep. Segun Adekola (PDP-Ekiti) at plenary.
Adekola explained that the motion was borne out of compassion for new legislators who passed through difficult experiences before they could get befiting accommodation.
Adekola said in 2004, the Federal Executive Council mandated the Federal Capital Territory Administration to sell all Federal Government non-essential houses in Abuja.
He said this included the Apo Quarters which was sold to Legislators occupying houses at the time under specific rules and guidelines.
He expressed concern over the challenging experiences new legislators were subjected to in their quest to get decent accommodation in the FCT.
The lawmaker stressed that this was due to the sale of the quarters originally built to accommodate them.
Adekola further expressed concern over the continuous use of the name “Apo Legislative Quarters” in describing the place, when in actual fact, most of the houses were no longer being occupied by legislators.
According to him, it has since changed hands due to sales to third or even to a fourth party.
He said there was the need to protect and uphold the sanctity of the legislature by putting in place, a corrective measure to address the ugly trend and distortion of fact.
He, therefore, called for change of the name, as over 80 per cent of the inhabitants of the quarters were not legislators.
“Legislature is the distinctive mark of a country’s sovereignty.
“The index of its status as a state and the source of much of the power exercised by the executive arm of government in the administration of the country.
“The legislature is the bedrock of any government, being an institution which represents the common and collective interests of the citizens.
(It is exercised) “through the enactment of laws and the exercise of oversight functions on the activities of the executive arm of government.
“In June 2003, former President Olusegun Obasanjo, based on the recommendation of a committee headed by the then Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Ufot Ekaette directed that the fringe benefits of all public and political office holders be monetised,”
Contributing to the motion,
Rep. Uzoma Nkem-Abonta (PDP-Abia) sought a new prayer to the motion to ensure that FCTA urgently provided befitting quarters and set aside for serving legislators.
The Deputy Speaker, Yussuff Lasun, asked the mover of the motion to withdraw it, as many former members still resided in the quarters.
He said that the name of the place had no bearing on how the parliament performed.
Also, the Deputy Chief Whip, Mr Pally Iriase, said that the world over, monuments were maintained for historical purposes.
He said that though many members no longer resided in the quarters, the name was a point of history that should be preserved for historical purposes.
Rep. Johnson Agbonayinma (APC-Edo said that the quarters lost its status as a national monument, the moment it was monetised and lost its initial function and status.
The motion was unanimously rejected by members when it was put to a voice vote by the Speaker, Mr Yakubu Dogara.
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.