Politics
Oshiomhole Acting With Impunity – Obaseki
The crisis rocking the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Edo State has deepened following accusation by Governor Godwin Obaseki that his predecessor and National Chairman of the party, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole was behaving with impunity.
Governor Obaseki insisted that Oshiomhole must inform the state government of any of his visit as courtesy demands.
Oshiomhole, who was in Bénin City at the weekend to attend the funeral ceremony of late Cecilia Agbonyinma, mother of Hon Ehiozuwa Agbonyinma was booed at the Bénin Airport by some APC youths.
His convoy was pelted with empty water can as heavy security presence at the airport barred the youths from getting close to the convoy.
The road leading to Oshiomhole’s residence was barricaded by two trucks even though one of the trucks was later set ablaze.
It was gathered that the barricade was to prevent any political meetings from holding at Oshiomhole’s residence.
Security was later beefed up around the house to forestall any attacks at night.
Speaking to newsmen about the airport incident, Obaseki said Oshiomhole should have informed the state government about his visit to the state.
He spoke when he played host to former President Goodluck Jonathan who paid him a private visit.
The Governor said: “The former President is just extending the courtesy as the president, someone who has served the country in the highest level and you heard what he said.
“There is a courtesy when you are going to visit a state, you want to inform the person in charge of the state that you are coming and when you have time during a visit, you can now pay him a courtesy call.
“Unlike the unfortunate incident, we have been having in Edo State. It is really sad where somebody who had been the governor of a state visiting the state and does not realise that courtesy demands that he should inform the governor or the governor apparatus of his visit and the chief executive in charge of his security when he is in the state.
“It is really sad and unfortunate that people who have served, who should know better decided to behave the way they do or behave with impunity and other sense of lawlessness.”
Jonathan in a brief chat with journalists said Edo people are pleased with Obaseki.
Contacted, spokesman for Oshiomhole, Simon Ebegbulem declined comment.
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.