2018: INEC To Begin Voter’s Education In Ekiti
Not satisfied with the level of voters participation in the 2014 governorship polls in Ekiti state , the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), is set to commence a serious sensitization of voters across the state ahead ahead of 2018 poll.
The electoral body said the move was to avert the recurring of voter apathy experienced in past elections which has the capacity to undermine the electoral process.
The INEC Public Relations Officer in Ekiti , Mr. Taiwo Gbadegesin, who stated this in Ado Ekiti yesterday said the commission only recorded less than 50 percent turnout in the 2014 governorship, describing this as worrisome to the commission.
The Governor of Ekiti State and candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP), Mr Ayodele Fayose won the election with a total vote of 203,090 as against 120,433 polled by Dr Kayode Fayemi of the All Progressives Congress while the state’s total registered voters was 732,833.
The commission, according to Gbadegesin has established voter education clubs in all the public secondary schools in the state to complement the sensitization programmes lined up by INEC in preparedness for the 2018 poll.
He revealed that INEC National Commissioner in charge of Ekiti, Ondo and Oyo States, Prince Deji Soyebi, has been organizing training and retraining to increase their staff’s professional knacks ahead of the poll in the state.
The electoral body Spokesman said : “The total number of registered voters in Ekiti as at then was 732,803 and going by the total votes cast was 360,455, it was apparent that less than 50 % voted in the election , which was just a fair turnout .
“But we recorded improvement in the 2015 general elections and the commission wanted to build on this, because voter apathy is not good for any electoral system.
“The INEC has set up dramatic an cultural groups across the across the
nation to stage dramas that will teach lessons inherent in someone abstaining from elections, all these were put in place to help in getting appreciable participation during elections”.
Gbadegesin said the commission is also hiring the services of National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) to propagate the gospel of voter participation across Ekiti.
He said the commission is partnering the traditional rulers in all the voter education programmes, so that they can serve as the rallying points in their domains for easy delivery of the message.