By Our Correspondent

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has projected that Nigeria’s registered voting population will surpass 100 million ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC National Commissioner, and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mallam Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja

Haruna spoke at INEC “Joint Implementation Meeting of the Departments of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) and Gender and Inclusivity (G&I) for the 2027 General Elections.”

The meeting was to draft the communication and inclusivity roadmap for the 2027 General Election, to ensure the elections were free, fair, credible, peaceful, and inclusive.

Haruna noted that with the previous voter register standing at over 93 million, it is expected to cross 100-million when the just concluded nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is finalised, placing Nigeria as the largest electoral democracy in Africa.

With 151 days to the first phase of the general elections, Haruna tasked INEC information officers with delivering effective publicity to mobilise all eligible citizens.

“Our job is to give the widest and most effective publicity to all five sets of elections to mobilise all Nigerians of voting age to choose their leaders. This job is at once simple and complex,” he said.

He noted that managing communication for over 100 million voters requires high professional standards, urging information officers to equip themselves with relevant skills and basic legal frameworks.
“First, we must have a grasp of the language we wish to communicate in and do so with the simplest words and in the most civil manner.

“Second, we must be knowledgeable about our country’s Constitution, the Electoral Law, and the Commission’s Guidelines.

“We must also be well-informed on other relevant legislation like the Freedom of Information and Data Protection Acts,” Haruna said.
He added that building on the success of recent off-cycle elections including Osun demanded harder work to deliver the freest and most credible general elections in the country’s history.

In his remarks, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Adedayo Oketola, reiterated the commission’s commitment under Prof. Joash Amupitan to credible and inclusive elections, as well as implementation of the outcome of the meeting.
Oketola described the joint meeting as timely and vital for drafting an actionable communication and inclusivity roadmap.

He said that while technological infrastructure and operational logistics form the backbone of electoral administration, the two departments constituted the human face and voice of the INEC.
“You build public trust, simplify complex procedures, and ensure that no eligible citizen is left behind,” Oketola said.
He, however, warned that the communication landscape leading into 2027 presents threats such as misinformation and disinformation aim to undermine voter confidence and fuel apathy.
“The antidote to disinformation is proactive, factual, and continuous public engagement.
“Our messaging must move beyond traditional announcement-style publicity into aggressive, daily civic education that demystifies our technology, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Results Viewing (IReV), and reinforces the integrity of the open secret ballot system,” he said.

On gender and inclusivity, he reiterated that electoral access for Persons with Disabilities (PWDs), women, youths, and elderly voters remained a constitutional right.
“From the deployment of Braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses to prioritising vulnerable queues and expanding youth participation through Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), 2027 must set a new benchmark for electoral access in Nigeria,” he said
The Director of VEP, GVictoria Eta-Messi, said that INEC grassroots reach with regard to voter sensitisation and enlightenment depends largely on the capacity and efficiency of the heads of department, VEP who were expected to be drivers of the programmes in their respective states.
Eta-Messi said that the implementation meeting provides clarity and direction for uniformity in task execution.
“The off-cycle governorship elections are out of the way, and what lies ahead is the 2027 general election, and going by the line of activities of both departments, this meeting takes precedence and sets the tone for what lies ahead.

“This meeting will therefore provide a platform for both departments to walk participants through the commission approved activities, highlight the strategies for implementation, and ensure that the timelines and expectations are clearly understood.
At the meeting were heads of departments of of VEP and G&I across the 36 states and the FCT.

By Our Corespondent

Worried by the level of allegations against Cross Rivers government, State Commissioner for Information, Pastor Ekpenyong Cobham, has challenged critics of the administration to substantiate allegations against the government, insisting that public discourse must be based on verifiable facts.

Cobham spoke on Tuesday in Calabar during an impromptu media engagement convened against the backdrop of what he described as growing misinformation surrounding recent developments in the state.

The briefing became tense when journalists sought clarification on a petition reportedly filed against Udama and whether the document was sponsored by the state government.

Cobham denied any government involvement, arguing that an official petition initiated by the administration would have emanated from the appropriate government authorities.

“The individuals who initiated the petition acted in their personal capacities, even though they used their official designations for identification,” he said.

He said the matter is already before the courts and should be allowed to follow the judicial process without being turned into a political controversy.

“This is not a subject of politics. It is a criminal issue. It is an act of absolute insolence,” Cobham said.

He challenged persons defending Udama to present their arguments before the court, while urging Udama to make public any information capable of supporting the allegations being raised.

Cobham also used the occasion to caution against what he described as an increasing tendency to rely on unsubstantiated claims as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections.

He said residents deserved accurate information about government policies, programmes and performance rather than claims that could not withstand scrutiny.

The commissioner criticised opposition politicians and former public officials who, he said, were attacking the Otu administration without adequately accounting for their own records while in government.

“Political engagement should be centred on policies, programmes, development indices and verifiable achievements, not personal attacks,” he said.

Cobham defended Governor Bassey Otu’s engagements outside Cross River, arguing that governance required interaction with federal institutions and other stakeholders to attract projects and interventions to the state.

He also challenged opposition politicians to a public debate on the administration’s performance, saying such an engagement would allow residents to assess competing claims.

“Let them call once for a debate. Let them try and raise the bar,” Cobham said.

He identified the state’s campaign for recognition as an oil-producing state as one of the issues he believed should receive greater attention in public discussions about Cross River’s development.

Cobham, who said he had previously operated from the opposition, maintained that criticism was necessary in a democracy but should be constructive and supported by evidence.

He urged critics to “educate themselves to the strata” at which the administration was operating and called on politicians to move beyond what he described as “rudimentary arguments.”

On the allegation that the state government pays cult groups or cultists to maintain peace, Cobham dismissed the claim as unsubstantiated and demanded evidence, including the identity of alleged recipients and documentation linking any payment to government.

“I can’t speak into what does not exist. I would like you to bring the basis showing that the government paid this person, and the identity of that person, which you will have to prove is a cultist,” he said.

“I am not a Commissioner for Google. I am a Commissioner for facts.” Cobham pledged that his ministry would continue engaging journalists and the public to provide accurate information on government activities to discourage fake news.
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By Our Correspondent

Ahead of 2027 election, eminent Nigerians gathered under the umbrella of G100 have called on all Presidential Candidates of leading political parties, leaders of opposition parties, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to join forces to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress APC form the nation’s seat of power.

The made the call at a press conference organized by the Minority Caucus of the House of Representatives National Assembly. where the lamented that Nigerians are suffering under the ruling All Progressives Congress and deserve a more human government.

The group is comprising of some lawmakers who are members of the African Democratic Congress ADC, National Democratic Congress NDC, Peoples’ Democratic Party PDP, Allied Peoples Movement APM, Accord Party A and Labour Party LP and other prominent Nigerians.

Leader of the Caucus Hon Fred. Agbedi said that group had met with the Presidential Candidates and other leaders of these parties and made their concerns known to them..

He said that they made it clear to these leaders that the only way that The opposition parties can upstage President Bola Tinubu during the polls is to come together and work harmoniously.

He said: “We need a a strong and virile opposition. We cannot achieve this without the collective efforts of party leaders, individuals and other stakeholders.

“Whatever we need to do to deliver Nigerians as an opposition we ‘ll do”.

The group also said that the members of the opposition parties as presently constituted seem very fragmented and lack unity of purpose to dislodge the ruling All Progressives Congress APC from power

The Caucus said the G100 group is an organic initiative that will guarantee victory for the opposition parties during the 2027 general elections and added that they are ready to get it right this time.

End