General
INEC Chair Tasks Media On Balanced Reports
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Yakubu Mahmood, has urged journalists to always cross check their facts from several channels available to them at the Commission before going to press.
He said because accuracy is one of the hallmarks of professional journalism, it was necessary for the media to ensure its reports are unbiased.
Prof Mahmood also said, “The Commission welcomes and appreciates constructive criticism, which will help us grow since no Election Management Body is perfect.”
Speaking at the 12th all Nigerian Editors’ conference (ANEC) held in Port-Harcourt, Rivers State, last Friday, the INEC Chairman, represented at the occasion by the Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, noted that the Commission was aware of the unprecedented attention and scrutiny it had gotten from the press following the conduct of recent elections through several articles that had been published or aired on what INEC did or did not do.
The INEC Chairman reiterated the challenges that have hampered the smooth conduct of elections in recent times, which the Commission had constantly, spoken against and tried to mitigate.
“The most daunting problem encountered by the Commission in conducting elections thus far is violence, which manifests in many ways: physical attack (sometimes leading to unfortunate death) on INEC staff (ad-hoc and regular), intimidation, completion of result sheets under duress and sundry electoral malpractices. At times, violence takes the form of attack on our offices, facilities and public institutions used as polling centres,” he said.
He re-affirmed INEC’s willingness and readiness to conduct elections in any part of the country, but stressed that: “the environment has to be conducive for us to perform our duty. Under no circumstance will INEC conduct an election where our permanent and ad-hoc staff, voters, local and international observers, local and international journalists face the imminent danger of being killed or maimed. No election is worth the life of a human being and we take the safety of our staff and all stakeholders very seriously. The Commission will never conduct or conclude any election that has not met the minimum threshold of credibility under our laws.”
He used the opportunity to correct the wrong impression that all recently conducted elections under his watch were inconclusive. He explained that: “over the last eight months, INEC has conducted over 83 re-run elections, 7 by-elections and three end of tenure elections.
“Of these, 58 were successfully concluded, contrary to the insinuation that all our elections have been inconclusive. It is instructive to note that 22 of the remaining inconclusive elections arose from the March 19 elections in Rivers, which all stakeholders agreed were marred by violence, demonstrated by the untimely death of a youth corps member.”
Professor Yakubu further explained that: “We have thus always ended up with inconclusive elections in all the areas where violence took place. In instances where the Commission could not vouch for the credibility of the process or its outcome, elections were either cancelled in the entire constituency, relying on Section 26 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), or in selected Polling Units, relying on Section 53 of the Electoral Act (as amended)”.
On the Commission’s plans to consolidate on the gains of the 2015 general elections and improve the electoral process ahead of the 2019 general elections, the INEC Chairman disclosed that: “The Commission is also looking at ways by which election results can be transmitted electronically from the Polling Units to the Collation Centres in the interest of security, sanctity of the ballot, speed and accuracy. Similarly, we have designed a portal from which all registered voters can confirm and verify their registration online ahead of elections.”
The workshop was attended by various Editors from media organizations across the country with the Commission also being represented by the Commission’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, Deputy Director in Charge of Publicity, Nick Dazang and the Assistant Director of Publicity, Chinwe Ogbuka.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) has confirmed the destruction of six transmission towers along the Apir–Lafia 330kV line in Nasarawa State, causing significant disruption to electricity supply in parts of the country.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, TCN spokesperson, Mrs Ndidi Mbah, said the incident occurred on May 30 at about 1:15 a.m. during a heavy downpour.
She explained that the transmission line initially tripped, prompting operators to attempt a trial reclosure of Line II at about 2:08 a.m., but the effort failed.
A subsequent inspection of the transmission corridor, however, revealed extensive damage to key components of towers T125 to T130, confirming that the infrastructure had been vandalised.
“The tripping of the lines prompted a physical line trace to determine the fault, which revealed damage to critical components of towers T125 to T130, confirming vandalism on the affected sections of the transmission corridor,” Mbah said.
The incident has forced both Apir–Lafia 330kV Transmission Lines I and II out of service pending the reconstruction of the damaged towers.
TCN said its engineers have been deployed to the site to assess the extent of the damage and determine the materials required to restore normal transmission along the corridor.
As an interim measure, the Lafia 330kV Transmission Station is being supplied through an alternative line to minimise the impact on electricity consumers within the franchise areas of Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) and Jos Electricity Distribution Company (JEDC).
The company condemned the persistent vandalism of power infrastructure, warning that such acts undermine investments in the electricity sector and threaten the stability of the national grid.
It also urged residents and host communities to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities around transmission installations to security agencies or the nearest TCN office.
TCN stressed that safeguarding critical national infrastructure requires collective responsibility to ensure a reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply nationwide.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
A Nigeria Gender Country Programme (NGCP) to advance private sector action on gender equality and inclusive economic growth has been unveiled at a high-level virtual CEO Roundtable convened by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), Nigerian Exchange (NGX) Group Plc, and the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI).
The NGCP builds on the momentum of Nigeria2Equal and other initiatives that have advanced workplace inclusion, women’s leadership, entrepreneurship, and sustainable finance across Nigeria’s private sector.
Designed as a more integrated and collaborative platform, the programme seeks to scale impact through coordinated action among development institutions, business leaders, regulators, and the organised private sector.
Anchored on three strategic priorities, the programme aims to increase women’s representation in leadership, improve access to quality employment, and expand access to productive assets—including finance, technology, and markets—for women and women-led businesses.
The partners are expected to formally launch the Nigeria Gender Country Program at a physical event scheduled for July 9, 2026, where stakeholders will further advance implementation of the programme’s strategic priorities.
At the virtual event, the Director General of the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), Mr Emomotimi Agama, said, “Gender inclusion is fundamentally an economic growth imperative. Closing gender gaps can unlock billions of dollars in value for Nigeria while strengthening business performance and national competitiveness. We must therefore move beyond viewing inclusion as a corporate social responsibility initiative or compliance exercise, and instead recognise it as a strategic driver of productivity, innovation, and sustainable economic growth.”
Commenting on the initiative, the chief executive of NGX Group, Mr Temi Popoola, said the initiative “presents a significant opportunity to deepen impact and accelerate progress across corporate Nigeria. By expanding women’s access to leadership opportunities, quality employment, finance, technology, and markets, we can unlock substantial economic value while building a more competitive, inclusive, and resilient private sector. At NGX Group, we believe the capital market has a critical role to play in advancing these outcomes through stronger governance, transparency, and stakeholder engagement.”
On his part, the IFC Head of Office in Lagos, Mr Christian Mulamula, said, “Closing the gender gap is one of the most significant opportunities to strengthen competitiveness and productivity. Across Africa, gender inequality is estimated to cost up to $2.5 trillion. Through the Nigeria Gender Country Program, IFC is working with the private sector to expand women’s leadership, improve access to better jobs, and increase opportunities for women-led businesses. Building on Nigeria2Equal, this initiative focuses on practical, measurable solutions that help businesses grow while advancing inclusive growth.”
In her remarks, the DG of LCCI, Ms Chinyere Almona, noted that the programme’s success would depend on leadership accountability and sustained commitment from business leaders, particularly in embedding gender inclusion into organisational strategy and execution.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The Nigerian Safety Investigation Bureau (NSIB) has commenced a forensic investigation into the collision between the container vessel MV Maersk Valparaiso and the oil tanker MT Lady Martina at Bonny Anchorage in Rivers State, following the download of Voyage Data Recorder (VDR) and Electronic Chart Display and Information System (ECDIS) data from the vessel for navigational analysis.
The bureau’s Director of Public Affairs and Family Assistance, Mrs Funke Adebayo Arowojobe, explained that in line with the International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Casualty Investigation Code and international obligations, NSIB had formally notified the Transport Safety Investigation Bureau (TSIB) of Singapore as a substantially interested State.
The incident, which occurred on May 20, 2026, has been classified by the bureau as a Very Serious Marine Casualty (VSMC).
She also said that NSIB activated its marine occurrence response protocols immediately after receiving notification of the incident, noting that the investigation Go-Team was deployed to Onne and Bonny on May 22 to commence evidence preservation and preliminary investigative activities.
The bureau disclosed that investigators boarded both vessels and conducted interviews with their masters and key crew members, while operational records and navigational data linked to the incident were secured.
Also, the director stressed that the bureau had commenced collaborative engagement with relevant local and international stakeholders as part of the investigation process, assuring the public and maritime stakeholders that the investigation would be conducted with professionalism, independence and thoroughness, stressing that the objective was to determine the causal and contributory factors of the occurrence and enhance maritime safety.
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