Politics
PDP’s Umo Eno Wins In Akwa Ibom
The ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has won the 2023 gubernatorial polls in Akwa Ibom State, polling a total of 354, 348 votes to beat 17 other political parties in the state.
With this victory, the party has dominated governance in the Land of Promise since 1999 when democracy returned after the military interregnum.
In the results announced by the State Collation Officer, Professor Emmanuel Adigioh, Vice Chancellor, Nigerian Maritime University, Okerenkoko, Delta State, the Young Progressive Party (YPP) came a distant second with 136,262 votes, while
the All Progressive Congress (APC) came third, polling a total of 129,602 votes.
The YPP won in two local government areas of Ibiono Ibom and Ikono while the PDP was victorious in Essien Udim, the stronghold of Senator Godswill Akpabio, an APC chieftain and Senator-Elect on the platform of APC.
The APC Governorship candidate, Obong Akan Udofia and his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Victor Antai lost their respective local government areas to the PDP, while the YPP Governorship candidate, Obong Bassey Akpan won big in his Ibiono Ibom local government area.
“The Governorship candidate of the PDP, Umo Bassey Eno having satisfied the requirement of the law by scoring 354,348 votes is hereby declared the winner and returned elected as the governor of the state”, the state Returning Officer said.
Meanwhile, the APC agent, Ekperikpe Ekpo rejected the results of the election, alleging that they were marred by thuggery, violence, and cancellations due to electoral infractions and destruction of materials amidst low turnout of voters.
Similarly, Ambassador Kelvin Umoh, YPP agent, equally rejected the outcome, stating that INEC did not follow due process in the conduct of the polls.
”Elections were conducted in people’s houses in Ini, Uyo and Itu and we will take a legal means to seek redress”, he 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.