Elections: INEC To Intensify Voter Sensitisation

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the commission would increase the scope of its voter education programme ahead of the 2019 general elections.The Director, Voter Education of the commission in the Federal Capital Territory, Mrs Ndidi Okafor, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.Okafor said that the move was intended to ensure increased participation of voters in the electoral process in the country.She said that voting apathy of the rural dwellers within the FCT had given the commission some concern, hence the need sensitise them on their roles in the process.We have been carrying out voter education to the villages of the six area councils in the FCT to let the people know the needs for them to participate in the electoral processes.But, the commission is worried over the low participation of the people during elections, she said, adding that some apathy on the part of the electorate was quite noticeable during the council polls in the area.Okafor disclosed that the commission had discovered that low turnout of voters at some elections derived from their displeasure with the political class in the country.They are not happy with the political class; they claimed that they have been abandoned by leaders.We went to all the villages, districts, rural villages during the elections; we have been to all the villages, mingled among them, speaking Hausa, Igbo, Yoruba, English and other local languages for their understanding, she said.According to her, it seems that our efforts have not created much impact on the people, so the commission will continue the sensitisation of the rural people on the processes.We have been doing sensitisation ahead of the 2019 general elections and we hope that it will yield better results this time around, she said. (NAN)
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