Politics
‘Tinubu Is God’s Answer To Nigerians’ Prayers For Good Leadership’
The Senator representing Kano South in the National Assembly, Kabiru Gaya, has said that the emergence of President-elect Bola Tinubu is God’s answer to the country’s prayers for good leadership.
He said this while speaking during a joint prayer session organised by APC Stakeholders Forum on Wednesday night.
Senator Gaya said Tinubu’s antecedents as governor of Lagos were evidence of his capacity.
He expressed optimism that if he could replicate what he did in Lagos in terms of infrastructure and grow the state’s economy despite odds at the national level, Nigeria would be a better place for all.
Sen. Gaya noted that Vice-President-elect Kashim Shettima also worked hard as governor of Borno.
According to the lawmaker, Tinubu and Shettima are a perfect match that can bring Nigeria to greater heights and make it the envy of other nations.
“I am sure God will guide them to bring in place professionals as cabinet members to work with and form a good government in the interest of the country and its citizens,” the Senator said.
Abudumumini Aminu, Chairman, Board of Trustees of the forum, said the joint prayer session, which cut across religious faith, was to pray for a successful tenure for the in-coming administration.
He said it was also to pray for national unity, peace, progress and the country’s development.
Tinubu will be sworn in as president on Monday.
Since the beginning of the Fourth Republic in 1999, all inaugurations had been held on May 29.
The most recent presidential inauguration was held on May 29, 2019, when President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office for a second term.
Recitation of the presidential oath of office is the only component in this ceremony mandated by the Nigerian Constitution.
The Chief Justice of Nigeria administers the presidential oath of office.
Since 1999, five chief justices have administered the oath at six scheduled public inaugurations.
The ceremony will be held at Eagle Square, Three Arms Zone in Abuja.
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.