A study has indicated that despite 95 million registered voters, only a minority of the electorate may still elect the next government in the 2023 elections due to poor voter awareness on the democratic process and power in their votes.
The study was carried out by the Whilltrust Foundation, a non-governmental organization (NGO) committed to boosting citizens participation in elections as pathway to chosing effective leaderships for positive development in Nigeria.
Hinting yesterday on a three days stakeholders conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State next month in furtherance of the NGO’s voter education advocacy, Aaron Anyanwu, Executive Director, said most rural people still hardly know the value of their Permanent Voters Card (PVCs).
“They only hold tight to it as identity cards or to show government people that they have it. Until voter education is translated into voting awareness, the exercise is still nothing. They must know how to vote and vote right. The mentoring continues”, Anyanwu warned.
He gave example of Anambra state latest governorship election where 2.5million voters registered, but only 250,000 (10%) voted, recalling that Governor Charles Soludo won with mere 112,000 votes in a state with 2.5 million voters.
The solution, Anyanwu stressed is, “Sustained mass voter education to keep helping rural voters to participate in registering, collecting PVCs and in going out to vote and shunning inducement. If you stop doing this, the work done will be wasted. The masses must understand why they vote.”
(Vanguard)
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