Politics
Reactions Trail Voters’ Registration In Rivers
Barely ten days to the deadline for the on-going voters registration, most eligible voters are still not impressed with the poor performance of INEC Direct Data Capture Machines (DDCM) in Rivers State.
This followed revelations that some registration centres technically abandoned the finger print machines because of its poor performance, thereby causing disaffection among eligible voters.
Our correspondents that monitored the registration exercise reported that many of the DDCM deployed to the state are technically defective while other units have not received enough machines to cover the massive eligible voters at various centres.
The state Resident Electoral Commission, Mr. Aniedu Ikoiwark confirmed this, when he was reported to have said computer engineers and experts have been deployed to most registration units across the state to improve on the speed of the machines.
At Agip Estate in Port Harcourt only 70 eligible voters were reported to have registered due to low battery in the machine, since the exercise started.
One of the eligible voters, Mr. Theophilus Amadi call for extension, as according to him, he visited the Agip estate registration over two days without his finger print captured by the machine.
In Andoni, the Chairman, Hon. Kingsley Silvanus said he has already sent his appeal to INEC for the extension of the on-going voters registration. According to him, the 207 DDCM deployed to Ngo was not enough and they are too slow to capture the massive turn out of eligible voters.
Chief Ephraim Etete-Owhoh, who corraborated the arguments of Hon. Silvanus explained that the exercise would not be effective with the poor performance of the DDCM.
He reasoned that INEC should settle for the manual or immediately correct the anomalies inherent in the DDCM in the area.
In ASALGA, the DDCM sent to the 13 ward, is not enough and even the machines already on ground is not performing effectively.
At Etche except for the initial hitches due to poor performance of the finger print machine, the 207 DDCM, sent to the area were deployed effectively for optional use.
The INEC Officer in Okehi, Dr. Gabriel Okoye said already security has been beefed up at the council headquarter to protect the machines.
When contacted on phone, the INEC PRO in the state, Mrs Tonia Nwobi admitted that there were some lapses when the exercise started, but said on the average, the slow pace arising from the poor state of some of the machines has been rectified.
As I am talking to you, she said, “The INEC Commissioner and team are in Tai to correct few anomalies”.
No fewer than 70 million Nigerians are expected to be registered in about 120,000 centres throughout the country.
It will be recalled that the last voters registration exercise was conducted in 2006 in the country.
Philip Okparaji, Ike Wigodo, John Bibor Enoch Epelle/Akujobi Amadi
The Senate yesterday received the 2026-2028 Medium Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper from President Bola Tinubu, marking the formal launch of the 2026 federal budget cycle.
In a letter addressed to the upper chamber, Tinubu said the submission complies with statutory requirements and sets out the fiscal parameters that will guide the preparation of the 2026 Appropriation Bill.
He explained that the MTEF/FSP outlines the macroeconomic assumptions, revenue projections, and spending priorities that will shape Nigeria’s fiscal direction over the next three years.
The letter was read during plenary by the Deputy President of the Senate, Senator Barau Jibrin (APC, Kano North), who urged lawmakers to expedite consideration of the document.
“It is with pleasure that I forward the 2026 to 2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper for the kind consideration and approval of the Senate.
“The 2026 to 2028 MTEF and FSP were approved during the Federal Executive Council meeting of December 3, 2025, and the 2026 budget of the Federal Government will be prepared based on the parameters and fiscal assumptions therein,” the President stated.
Last week, the Federal Executive Council approved the fiscal projections, pegging the oil benchmark price at $64.85 per barrel and adopting a budget exchange rate of ?1,512/$1 for 2026—figures expected to significantly shape revenue forecasts and expenditure planning.
After reading the President’s letter, Jibrin referred the document to the Senate Committee on Finance, chaired by Senator Sani Musa (APC, Niger East), with a directive to submit its report by Wednesday, December 17.
The Senate adjourned shortly after to allow committees to commence scrutiny of the fiscal framework and continue the ongoing screening of ambassadorial nominees.
Tinubu’s communication to the Senate came less than 24 hours after he transmitted the same MTEF/FSP documents to the leadership of the House of Representatives.
The letter was read on the House floor by the Deputy Speaker, House of Representatives, Benjamin Kalu, who also urged timely legislative action as required by law.
The MTEF and FSP are statutory instruments mandated by the Fiscal Responsibility Act and serve as the blueprint for Nigeria’s annual budgets.
They outline the government’s fiscal stance, macroeconomic assumptions, revenue frameworks, projected deficits, and sectoral priorities over a three-year period.
The Tide reports that approval by the National Assembly is a prerequisite for the executive to present the Appropriation Bill for the next fiscal year.
In a statement on Saturday, the former Senate Leader stated that the allocation of nominees across states and geopolitical zones falls short of the constitutional requirement for fair representation in the composition of the Federal Government.
The ex-Senate Whip warned that allowing the list to pass could deepen ethnic suspicion at a time when the administration should be consolidating national unity.
He highlighted disparities in the spread of nominees, noting that while some states have three or four slots, others have none. He also cited the inclusion of Senator Adamu Garba Talba from Yobe, who reportedly died in July.
“The entire North-East states have seven nominees in the list. Further checks revealed that the South-West geo-political zone has 15 nominees, while North-West and South-East have 13 and 9, respectively.
“North-Central region has 10 nominees in the list of career and non-career ambassadorial nominee while South-South parades 12 nominees,” Senator Ndume said.
According to him, such imbalances could heighten tensions and undermine Section 14(3) of the Constitution.
“My sincere appeal to President Tinubu is to withdraw this list. At this critical juncture in his administration, he should avoid missteps that could undermine national unity and foster ethnic distrust.
“I know him to be a cosmopolitan leader who is at home with every segment and stakeholder in the country. He should withdraw that list and present a fresh set of nominees that will align with the spirit of the Constitution on the Federal Character Principle,” Senator Ndume added.
He accused the legislators of undermining the sanctity of the legislature and acting as instruments of destabilization.
“The members of the Rivers State House of Assembly have, by their actions since they assumed office, shown that they are political puppets and a clog in the wheels of democratic progress,” Comrade Ememobong stated, adding that “They will go down in history as enemies of democracy and those who made mockery of the legislature.”
“So the easiest way to describe their action is a defection from APC to APC,” he said.
Comrade Ememobong announced that the party would deploy constitutional provisions to reclaim its mandate from those who have “ignobly and surreptitiously” abandoned the platform on which they were elected.
“Consequently, the PDP will take legal steps to activate the provision of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999 as amended) to recover the mandate gained under the banner of our party which these people have now switched to another platform,” he said.
He urged party members in Rivers State to remain calm and steadfast.
“We urge all party members in Rivers State to remain faithful and resolute, as efforts are underway to rebuild the party along the path of inclusiveness, fairness and equity,” Comrade Ememobong assured.
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