THE Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission has said it would collaborate with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems to tackle voter apathy among citizens.
The Electoral Commissioner for LASIEC, Dr Noah Jinadu, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday.
Jinadu was quoted to have said this during a three-day programme held at the commission’s headquarter in Yaba.
He said, “Voter education should take a central stage in dealing with apathy. The grassroots has to be touched; market women, artisans must all be involved. We observe elections in different states in Nigeria but I can tell you that voter apathy is a general issue.
“We will collaborate with IFES to conduct a Needs Assessment Survey which will focus on LASIEC’s institutional capacity (human and material), as well as the commission’s willingness to embark on needed reforms.”
The Deputy Country Manager, IFES, Obaje Ukeh, said lack of trust in the electoral process and loss of confidence in government institutions and public office holders are some of the contributory factors to voter apathy in Nigeria.
“Voter apathy has a lot of strands to it. For people to act better or participate more, they have to be more informed about the process to ensure there is adequate participation and make the people know the power they wield to decide who gets elected into political offices,” he said.
The Permanent Secretary, LASIEC, Dr Olayiwole Onasanya, said the report by the Independent National Electoral Commission revealed that over one million permanent voters’ cards were not collected in Lagos State is worrisome.
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