Politics
S’East Leaders Rally Support For Anyim
Some leaders of the South-East geopolitical zone have rallied support for Senator Anyim Pius Anyim’s presidential aspiration in the 2023 general elections.
Former President of the Senate, Chief AdolphusWabara, and some political leaders in the South-East recently expressed their support for Anyim.
The leaders are of the view that the Nigeria’s former number three citizen is most suited for the nation’s top job in terms of leadership experience, national stature, nationwide acceptability, age, maturity, comportment and capacity to manage the country and her economy.
Speaking at a grand reception and conferment of Chieftaincy title of “MaduforoNdeNgwa” on the Senate Minority Leader, Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe, by the traditional council of Ngwa zone, in Abia State, Senator Wabara called on the Nigerian electorates, particularly the people of the South-East zone, to rally round Senator Anyim in his quest to clinch the ticket of his party at the primary and contest and win the presidency of Nigeria.
Wabara said Anyim has distinguished himself in his previous civil service career and political positions as the President of the Senate and as the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), hence, he would be a fit and proper person to pilot the affairs of Nigeria at this crucial moment of our country’s life.
The former Senate President added that the presidential aspirant was a dependable leader and a team player whose commitment to the unity of the country, rule of law and national equity was public knowledge.
He noted that those who have worked closely with Anyim could easily attest to his ever pan-Nigerian disposition and his uncommon courage in the pursuit of true democracy, good governance and commitment to the greatness of Nigeria.
Other leaders of the South-East zone and eminent political leaders outside Igboland who were guests at the occasion and who spoke at the event, unanimously endorsed Anyim as the hope for Nigeria in 2023.
On his part, Senator EnyinnayaAbaribe, said it was gratifying that Anyim had declared his interest for the presidency when it appeared no one was stepping out for a challenge. Abaribe urged Nigerians and leaders from all the geo-political zones in the country to invest their trust and support for Senator Anyim.
In his speech at the occasion, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, commended Senator EnyinnayaAbaribe for his illustrious service to his people which necessitated the chieftaincy title of “MaduforoNdeNgwa” by the traditional council in his zone.
He stated that what was needed in the country were leaders that would work for the interest of the people and inspire great hope; leaders who will understand the needs of the people and empathise with them in their problems by finding a lasting mitigation to those challenges.
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.
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