Politics
PDP Chieftain Tasks NASS On Electoral Act Amendment Bill
A former National Vice Chairman, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) South South, Mr Emmanuel Ogidi, has called for speedy passage of the Electoral Act amendment bill to enhance the electoral process in the country.
Agidi said this when he spoke with newsmen in Abuja, yesterday.
The chieftain said that those who were anticipating to benefit from the shortcoming of the law may not want the amendment to take place, urging the National Assembly to act in the interest of the nation for the benefit of all.
Ogidi stressed the need for early passage of the bill, ahead of the commencement of 2023 electioneering, to prevent changing the rules during the contest.
“We encourage the National Assembly to work on the amendment of the Electoral Act, the National Assembly should as a matter of urgency amend the Act.
“The APC government has a lot of influence on the National Assembly, they should allow the Assembly amend the Act.
“You may feel that it will not affect you today but nature is a very interesting thing, it may come back to hunt you, you might be the victim.
“So my advice to the APC government is to allow the amendment to happen,’’ he said.
Ogidi expressed worry over the current security situation in the country, saying that people could no longer move freely on the highways without fear of being attacked.
He decried activities of bandits and Boko Haram across the country, stressing the need to stem them before they degenerate further.
Ogidi said that open grazing was no longer tenable in the country, recommending ranching to replace the nomadic system because of its economic potential and viability.
The chieftain commended the Nigerian military for remaining neutral and not venturing into politics in spite of the unpatriotic activities of some politians and the state of insecurity.
“I want to commend the army for resisting the temptation even though some unpatriotic politicians are encouraging them; do not listen to those selfish and unpatriotic politicians.
“Keep maintaining the integrity of the country and allow the police to do the internal work of the nation,’’ he said.
Meanwhile a top contender for the governorship seat in Ekiti under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Hon. Wale Aribisala, has assured his supporters of not only going to win the primary but win the governorship election and become the next governor of Ekiti.
Aribisala said this in a statement by the Director-General of Wale Aribisala Campaign Organisation (WACO), Chief Bola Olu-Ojo, in Ado-Ekiti.
He said that he had better chances of winning the election than all the PDP gubernatorial aspirants on the field today, putting all the parameters on the table.
He said that the age, experience, exposure, education, contacts in high places and the pedigree were all to his advantage.
Aribisala also debunked a publication in social media stating that he shelved his ambition for the senatorial post instead of the 2022 governorship position.
He described the publication as false and misleading, maintaining that he could not and never be part of arrangement to trade -off his ambition.
He declared that the said publication might have been orchestrated by a group of people who were intimidated by his political profile.
He noted that the said publication was aimed at distracting, confusing and discouraging members of the public, especially the PDP delegates for the gubernatorial primary in their support for his gubernatorial ambition.
He described those behind the publication as enemies of progress and reaffirmed his readiness to contest the primary whenever it is scheduled to hold.
He appealed to the PDP delegates and members of the general public to discountenance the fake publication, assuring that he was committed to lead Ekiti into a new economic eldorado after winning the PDP primary and the governorship election.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Aribisala was a former member of the House of Representatives and currently the National Treasurer of the PDP.
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.