Politics
Obaseki Swears In 11 Commissioners, Two Special Advisers
Edo State Governor, Godwin Obaseki, inaugurated 11 commissioners and two Special Advisers on Wednesday in Benin as part of those that will constitute the Edo State Executive Council.
The governor charged the new appointees to ensure transparency and uphold accountability in all they did in their respective beats.
He told them that organisational performance scorecards had been developed for each ministry to enthrone a high performance culture.
“The scorecard shall track key performance targets and deliverables of each ministry and reports will be demanded on a quarterly basis,” Obaseki said.
“A formal assessment of performance targets and results achieved by each ministry shall be conducted.
“These shall form basis of further review and linkages to other key human resource processes.
“These illustrious sons and daughters of the state have emerged from a thorough search and screening process that identified them as part of the best and brightest we have.
“These soon-to-be commissioners will form the core of the new Executive Council that will manage the affairs of the state.
“As commissioners and special advisers, the height of people’s expectation of you and the government you represent are unprecedented.
“We have no choice but to meet and deliver on the expectations of the people. As we serve the people, we must become champions of high performance, disciplined in execution and results-oriented,” the governor said.
The commissioners are, Mr Oluwole Iyamu, Mrs Obehi Akoria, Dr Joan Osa-Oviawe, Osaze Uzamere and Monday Osaigbovo.
Others are Marie Edeko, Joseph Eboigbe, Moses Agbukor, Isoken Omo, Andrew Emwanta and Mrs Otse Momoh-Omorogbe.
The two Special Advisers are Crusoe Osagie, who has been appointed as Special Adviser, Media Projects and Sarah Esangbedo Ajose-Adeogun, who is Special Adviser, Strategy, Policy, Projects and Performance Management.
Speaking with journalists after the inauguration, Osagie said that he believed in the vision of the governor to transform the state.
He assured that he was ready to support the governor until he succeeded, adding that he was always prepared to deliver good governance to the people of Edo.
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.