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From Charity Nwakaudu, Abuja
Ahead of the 2023 general election, a Civil Society Organisation, Citizen Intervention and Accountability Network (CiAN), has partnered with Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) to reduce voter apathy in the country.
The Director Planning projects, Samson Abraham made this known when he led delegates for a courtesy visit to INEC headquarters in Abuja, yesterday.
He explained that as gatekeepers, they will use the partnership as a means of educating and mobilising Nigerians on how to vote wisely.
He commended INEC’s immense contribution to the quality of the electoral system in Nigeria, adding that it is why CiAN is out to work with them for more impacts.
‘We are here to work with INEC as one of the gatekeepers and that is why we are here with our application to be registered as an election observer. We are also here to submit our application and register as a civil society organisation,’ he said.
‘We want to partner with the commission to have a strategic alliance with them, have a thorough collaboration with you, in terms of civic education, and mobilise the Nigerian people, the masses for voting ahead of coming general election.
‘We are also using this medium to invite him to come and be the special guest of honour in the forthcoming national project that is in our hand title, “The Next Nigeria President”. The next Nigeria President is all about resources, books, tools that is currently being translated into five local languages.
‘We have the Efik, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo, pidgin and we also have it in the English version. So the target of the book’s force is to eliminate voter apathy a lot of people don’t believe in the system based on the fact that the commission is doing a great job.
‘There are a bunch of voters apathy and it’s an impending issue that needs to be addressed and the books are also going to forestalled Civil education and the books are intended to also build a consensus among the political geographic on this country. And that is why we are here.’
In his remarks, the group Northern regional Director, Comrade Yunusa Muhammed, explained that civil society organisations like us are the people that made INEC be where they are right now.
‘We are going to achieve our goals by going to state by state, zones by zone and geopolitical zones, holding town hall meetings to let them know the importance of properly participating in the forthcoming election,’ he said,
Responding, the INEC chairman who was represented by the National Commissioner, Prof Kunle Ajayi, appreciated the organisation for their kind comments about INEC, assuring them that INEC is ready to work with them.
‘As we all know without election that is not a democracy. The election is a basic element of democracy. And it is the sole responsibility of INEC to register political parties to conduct elections, and we have been doing that very effectively.
‘We can not do all these, without the cooperation of civil society organisations like CiAN. I was impressed when you talked about mobilising across all the local governments in Nigeria that is not a joke. I am impressed about the values you have projected here and so we welcome you strongly to be part of the partnership,’ he said.
