Politics
‘INEC Chairman Appointment, Critical To Election Success’
The All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) on Monday urged the Senate to adopt the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais-led Electoral Reform Committee on the appointment of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman.
Mr Nkem Lemchi, the Secretary of the Lagos State chapter of APGA, who made the call in an interview with newsmen in Lagos, said the mode of appointment of the chairman of the commission was critical to the success of any election.
He argued that any chairman appointed by a serving president could never be loyal to the country, but to the president.
The party secretary said the INEC chairman, if appointed by another body other than the president, “can never be impartial.
“A situation whereby INEC is not independent in terms of revenue and a situation whereby the chief executive of the nation appoints the chairman is morally wrong.”
The APGA chieftain explained that such a chairman would be subject to the man who appointed him and gave him his meal ticket, adding that no one would be convinced of his sincerity and allegiance to the nation.
“The Senate should have the courage to accept and adopt the recommendations in the Uwais committee report. This is what we are agitating for because without it, we are going back to the status quo,” he said.
Lemchi said the Jan. 2 and March 4 dates proposed for the 2011 elections by the Senate were okay for Nigerians if the electoral reform could be completed before then.
Meanwhile the The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Niger State has said it will not impose any candidates on the people in the 2011 general elections.
The Chairman, Alhaji Abdulrahaman Enangi, made the promise at Kuchi Village in Doko District on Tuesday.
The Bida District correspondent of The Tide On Sunday reports that the pledge was made when a retired federal civil servant, Dr Jonathan Jiya, registered as a PDP member.
Enangi, represented by an ex-officio member of the party, Alhaji Yahaya Hussaini-Emilugi, said the party would allow the people to vote for candidates of their choice during the elections.
According to him, imposing candidates on the people amounts to disenfranchising them, which is “a bad omen for our nascent democracy”.
Enangi said further that the party would not present candidates apart from those supported by the people, adding that “the people’s choice is what we will go with”.
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.