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HUNDREDS OF LATE BAYELSA DEP GOV’S KINSMEN DUMP PDP FOR APC

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Members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) numbering more than 500  from Ofoni Federated Communities, hometown of the late former Deputy Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Lawrence Ewhrudjakpo, have dumped their party for the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Speaking on behalf of the defectors in Yenagoa, Dr. Christopher Ewhrudjakpo, elder brother of the late former Deputy Governor, said as a community, they had supported the Prosperity Administration from inception and could not afford to oppose a government they consider their own.
He said the decision was a collective one taken by the people of the community out of their own volition, assuring that those yet to decamp will join them in the APC in no distant time.
Dr. Ewhrudjakpo assured Governor Douye Diri and his Deputy of the total support of the people of the community.
The Tide reports that Ofoni Community is in the Sagbama Local Government Area of the state.
The late deputy governor’s sibling stressed that the bond between the community and the Prosperity Government will not be broken.
In an address of welcome, the Vice Chairman of APC in Bayelsa West Senatorial District, Mr Akwakwa B. Akwakwa, said the event was significant as they were all coming under one umbrella to align with the vision of Governor Diri, who is the leader of the party in the state.
Also speaking, a former Commissioner for Youths and Sports, Chief Kemi Prefa, said the APC was large enough to accommodate as many people that were willing to join the party and assured the new entrants of equal treatment.
Stakeholders of Sagbama Wards 3 and 4, including Dr Isikuru Joseph, Mr Friday Nigeria, Mr Morris Dovieme, President-General of Ofoni Federated Communities, Mr Godspower Ikerewu and the leader of Ofoni Women in Politics, Mrs Ann Siakpere, lauded the leadership qualities of Governor Diri and his new deputy, Dr Peter Akpe.
They emphasized that the community had decided to join the APC winning train in their own collective interest.
Expressing gratitude to the state government for development projects in their community, the defectors assured the governor and his deputy of their continued support and resolve to work for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Responding, the Deputy Governor of the State, Dr. Peter Akpe, expressed delight over the defectors’ voluntary decision to join the APC, saying it was not the style of Governor Diri to coerce people into decision making.
He acknowledged the organic support the prosperity administration had always received from the people of Ofoni Community and urged the new entrants to feel free in their new party.
Dr Akpe noted that their formal defection would strengthen the already existing relationship between the state government and the community, adding that the development would encourage those who were still sitting on the fence to join the APC in no distant time.
He said: “It is a day of joy because we are bringing our hearts out organically without any kind of pressure. Nobody was cajoled or pressured to be here. Everyone made their judgement, took their decision and we are here. That is the methodology and pattern of Governor Diri; he never pressures anybody.
“With utmost joy I want to join our party leaders to welcome you. The boat of APC in Sagbama was incomplete without this cream of leaders from Ofoni. We have been a team working together, nothing should separate us.
“Thank you so much. I appreciate you all on behalf of the governor. This togetherness will take us to greater heights. Feel extremely free and confident that you are in this party for good. To all those still far or still sitting on the fence, join the winning team.”
Highpoint of the event was the reception of the PDP defectors by the APC Chairman of Sagbama Local Government Area, Mr Arioke Ohwona.
By: By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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INEC To Display Voters Register April 29 As CVR Phase II Closes Nationwide

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April 20, 2026

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the second phase of its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, recording a total of 3,748,704 completed registrations across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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.

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Ekiti 2026: IPC Trains Journalists On Election Coverage

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2 weeks ago

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April 20, 2026

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Ahead of the forthcoming 2026 gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, the International Press Council (IPC), Lagos, last Friday, commenced a two-day stakeholders’ dialogue on credible election, as part of activities to train media professionals on the best approaches to the process.

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.

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GROUP BLASTS ATIKU CRITICAL COMMENTS AGAINST JONATHAN  … SAYS EX-VP CAREER ASPIRANT 

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2 weeks ago

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April 20, 2026

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The National Coordinator of the Goodluck Jonathan Legacy Project (GJLP ), Engr Juan Amechee, has described as unfortunate and revisionist, recent remarks by former Vice President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, who attributed governance challenges during former President Goodluck Jonathan’s administration to inexperience.
The GJLP Coordinator and technocrat, in a statement, noted that the ex-Vice President’s claim was faulty and lacks merit, describing him as a ‘career presidential candidate’ who has repeatedly sought power without being tested at the highest level of national leadership.
“To describe Dr. Jonathan as inexperienced is a flight from reality. Before assuming the presidency,  Jonathan served as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice President, and Acting President.
“If this distinguished résumé qualifies as ‘inexperience,’ one wonders what standard the former Vice President considers adequate, perhaps his own record of serial aspirations which, by his own argument, should have translated into opportunity but has never been tested at the helm”, the group said.
Engr Amechee further noted that Alhaji Atiku lacks the tact to govern at the highest level, citing the political division and self-centeredness that have characterised his presence in every political party he has joined.
The statement captioned ‘Atiku’s  Revisionism and Jonathan’s Records: a response to claims of inexperience’ read in part: “Our attention has been drawn to the recent remarks by former Vice-President, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, in which he attributed governance challenges during the Jonathan administration to inexperience.
“Ordinarily, such a claim would not merit a response because the truth is self-evident. However, when historical revisionism is presented as analysis, it becomes necessary to correct the record.
“It is unfortunate that this statement is coming from a career Presidential candidate who lacks the moral authority to speak about experience where globally respected leaders are discussing leadership.
“If experience is defined by being a serial Presidential candidate, a role he seemingly hopes to reprise in 2027, then one must ask why such experience has failed to translate into national leadership for him”.
The Statement added: “To describe Dr. Jonathan as ‘inexperienced’ is not only misleading, it is demonstrably false. Before assuming the presidency, he served as Deputy Governor, Governor, Vice-President, and Acting President during the constitutional crisis following the illness of his former boss, Umaru Musa Yar’Adua. If that résumé qualifies as “inexperience,” one wonders what standard the former Vice-President considers adequate.
“Throughout his years in politics, Atiku has shown a lack of the tact and experience required to govern at the highest level, proving to be a figure of political division in every party he finds himself.
“Jonathan presided over an administration with one of the most reform-driven periods in Nigeria’s history. Under his watch, Nigeria became Africa’s largest economy, attracted the highest Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) on the continent, and kept inflation at a single digit”.
The group’s leader said data obtained from the World Bank indicated that Nigeria recorded its lowest poverty rate since 1999 under Dr Jonathan, saying the former President’s administration brought down poverty to 35.8%—making his tenure the most prosperous of the Fourth Republic.
“Jonathan’s achievements in agriculture were equally notable. In 2013, he was honoured by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), in Rome for meeting the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on hunger eradication well ahead of the 2025 target.
“Furthermore, a leader’s credibility is measured by their international influence. Nigeria has served as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council only five times since 1960; remarkably, two of those terms occurred during Jonathan’s administration.
“Similarly, it was Jonathan who facilitated the emergence of Dr. Akinwumi Adesina as the first Nigerian President of the African Development Bank (AfDB) in 2015.
“On democracy, Jonathan set a standard that remains unmatched: he conceded power peacefully, placing national stability above personal ambition. That singular act, born of his far-reaching electoral reforms, did more to strengthen our democracy than decades of political rhetoric”, the GJLP said.
The Pro-Jonathan group noted that Nigerians were discerning enough to distinguish between those who have held power and delivered measurable progress, and those who have repeatedly sought it while offering retrospective critiques.
“Dr. Jonathan’s record is public, measurable, and enduring. No amount of convenient revisionism can erase it”, the group stated.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
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