22nd August, 2016
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo said on Monday that it had commenced voter education to stem voter apathy during the Sept 10 governorship election in the state.
The INEC Electoral Officer, Etsako-West Local Government Area of Edo, Mrs Patricia Idele, announced this at a one- day workshop on voter education for stakeholders at Auchi.
Idele said low voter education had affected the perception of people towards the commission and its activities, adding that efforts were being made to restore the people’s confidence in elections.
“The aim is to talk to people in the right manner for them to be well informed; some people have worked on misinformation in the past, which needed to be corrected before the Sept. 10 governorship election,” she said.
Idele said that the campaign was part of INEC’s agenda to keep the people informed on the electoral process and for them to participate actively in it.
“The commission identified low level of voter education and awareness in electoral matters by the electorate as one of the major reasons for apathy and the resultant low participation.
“We have been mandated to ensure positive attitudes among the electorate to comply with electoral laws, stop violence and election malpractice,” she said.
The electoral officer, however, expressed optimism that the governorship election would be conducted in a free, fair, credible and conclusive manner.
She added that the commission was committed to ensuring that there was a level playing field for all contestants in the election.
The INEC official, therefore, appealed to political parties to sensitise their members against any form of irregularities and for them not to disrupt the process.