Politics
Minister Decries Embezzling Campaign Funds
The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, has denied embezzling and diverting 2019 campaign funds in Kwara State.
Mohammed who was reacting to an allegation by the State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, insisted that he raised over N150m to prosecute the 2019 general elections in the state.
AbdulRazaq had alleged that prior to the 2019 general elections in Kwara State, a cabal within the APC had millions of naira in donations and never remitted the money to him.
However, Mohammed insisted that the governor failed to account for the money he and his friends raised for the party in 2019.
Addressing APC members yesterday at the party’s state Secretariat’s in Ilorin, Mohammed insisted that he singlehandedly funded APC’s 2019 campaign in Kwara State.
He challenged his accusers to present proofs that they supported the party’s campaign.
Mohammed also pointed out that APC would not have participated in the 2019 elections in the state if he had not raised the donations.
According to Mohammed: “I never diverted All Progressives Congress (APC) 2019 general elections funds for my personal use as alleged by Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq.
“By the grace of God, I singlehandedly, with the support of friends, politicians, and family, raised all the monies for the Oke-Ero/Isin/Ekiti/Irepodun Federal Constituency bye-election of November 2019 that brought Hon. Tunji Olawuyi to the House of Representatives.
“They should explain to Nigerians what happened to the N70 million that Hon. Abduraheem Tunji Ajuloopin kept that the governor refused to give us during the bye-election.
“I had to go to friends to raise another N150 million to prosecute that election. I remember very well that there are 42 wards in that constituency.”
The minister also recalled how a former governor told him that nobody could defeat former Senate President, Bukola Saraki.
“I remember a governor, when we won the first election, calling me to ask if it was true we won the bye-election. And I told him ‘yes sir.’ He said, ‘I want to apologise to you when you came to me for money they told me not to give you money. They told me you are a Lagos politician, that nobody can defeat Saraki.’
“But then we did not know that God brings more wonder,” he said.
The minister also insisted that the APC congress in the state would not hold until all members have been duly registered.
Mohammed stressed that the last APC’s registration and revalidation exercise in the state was a charade.
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.