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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)
