Politics
Lawmaker Urges Monarchs To Support Council Boss
A member of the Rivers State House of Assembly, Hon. Mattew Dike, has called on traditional rulers in his constituency to support the Chairman of Tai Local Government Area, Dr. Jacobson Nbina to enable him succeed in office.
Dike spoke in Sakpenwa, headquarters of the local government, when the council boss gave out certificates of recognition to newly constituted Community Development Committee (CDC) members in 20 communities in the area, following the passage of the CDC bye- laws.
He reminded stakeholders in the area that they voted for the council boss because of the love they have for him, the same way people of the area voted massively for Governor Nyesom Wike and all PDP candidates in the last general elections, saying they must continue to show support and respect to leaders in authority.
According to Dike, “We voted for this government. Some of our paramount chiefs were not voted for by the people. The Local Government like the State Government were voted for by the people who are eighteen years and above.
“Let us try as much as possible to respect the government we instituted; respect the government we voted for because it our own. No matter who is there, it is never practiced, it is never done, it has not been said anywhere that those in positions of authority should not be respected,” he said.
Earlier, the Tai council chairman, Dr. Nbina warned that the era where traditional rulers seat in their palace and appoint CDC members were over.
He urged the newly constituted CDC members to work with their respective chiefs and counsellors, as well as help to monitor projects for the development of the area.
“You will support community development projects registered under you. That means we are about to come to your community. So I am charging all of you to work closely with your counsellors and the paramount rulers.
“So that the projects that are coming now, you must take charge. If it is contractor that is coming, you must follow up the contractor to ensure that the specific time given to that project is accomplished accordingly.
“The projects we are talking about is not only Tai LGA projects. From the State, World bank and others. That are some of the things we are charging you to do,” the Tai local government boss said.
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.