Politics
Secondus Tasks INEC On Credible Polls
The National Chairman of People Democratic Party (PDP) Prince Uche Secondus, says there would be war in Nigeria, if 2019 elections are rigged in the country.
Secondus gave the warning last Thursday at the inauguration of PDP campaign team in Port Harcourt.
He said Nigerians were wise enough this time around not to allow any agents of state to partner with any political party to rig election in the country.
According to him, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the country was shying away from campaign because of its plan to use the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to rig 2019 elections in the country.
“Let me give you full assurance that nobody can rig 2019 elections in the country, if APC decides to use federal might to rig the elections in the country there would be war.
“Remove the fear that APC will rig the 2019 election and go to your units and wards and seek for their votes for PDP because APC has failed Nigerians.
“Instead of economic development, huger is what we are witnessing as development and programmes” Secondus lamented.
Also speaking, the chairman of the party in Rivers State, Bro Felix Obuah advised members of the campaign team to take their assignment serious, saying that the party did not want to lose election in any ward or unit in the state. Obuah also advised PDP members to join force with the campaign team to ensure that the party’s message of good governance got to all nooks and crannies of the state for the party to win the 2019 elections in the state. The Rivers State chapter of PDP last Thursday appointed Chief Fedrick Alabrabra as chairman of the state campaign team for 2019 general elections with a charge that every member of the party should deliver his or her unit to be relevant in the party.
The Governor of the state, Chief Nyesom Wike who gave the charge during the inauguration of the campaign team said the people must not allow APC and its agents to rig the 2019 election.
Enoch Epelle
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.