Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified voter education as panacea to credible elections, saying that it would not be able to deliver free, fair and credible elections in 2015, if voters were not properly educated.
According to INEC, low level of education and awareness on electoral matters by the citizens was responsible for the apathy and resultant low participation which affected the acceptability of the previous elections.
Kaduna state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Haliru Aliyu Tambuwal, said this yesterday in Kaduna while inaugurating INEC Inter Agency Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (SICVEP).
He assured of the commission’s determination to conduct free, fair and credible elections, adding that the commission has identified voter education as central to fulfilling the promise.
He expressed optimism that, the state INEC Inter Agency Advisory Committee on Voter Education and Publicity (SICVEP) would discourage apathy and promote positive attitudes and responses among the citizenry and encourage compliance with regulation as well as discourage violence and all forms of malpractices.
“This is why for the first time the commission will be engaging a wide range of agencies at a multilateral level with the task of educating, enlightening and main streaming voters in Nigeria in a formal and structured manner.
“It is indeed the realisation that INEC cannot single-handedly undertake or achieve affective mobilisation and voter education with desired reach, which is why the membership of SICVEP is drawn from INEC, relevant government agencies and professional bodies.”
The committee members were drawn from INEC, media, education, youth and information ministries, Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), religious bodies and student union bodies were, however, inaugurated by the REC.
