The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has asked stakeholders in the electoral process to rise up to the challenge of voter mobilization for elections so as to tackle the problem of low voter turnout on election day.
The Commission threw the challenge at a one-day sensitization forum for Broadcast Media Practitioners in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, on the forthcoming Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday twelfth February, 2022.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye., while declaring open the Sensitization Forum, observed that  the Commission is mandated by Section two of the Electoral Act two thousand and ten as amended to conduct Voter and Civic Education, to promote sound  knowledge of democratic election process.
He however noted that voter mobilization and getting out the voters is one of the principal responsibilities of the Political Parties just as the Media and Civil Society Organisations must continue to assist and engage in multi-stakeholder action to encourage voter participation and engagement.
He disclosed that the FCT elections will also be conducted in the newly created polling units across the six Area Councils, and also reaffirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS and INEC Result Viewing Portal, IREV, will be deployed for the purposes of voter accreditation and uploading of polling unit results.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC, for the FCT, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, said preparations for the Area Council elections are in top gear explaining that the Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, of new registrants have been printed and are now being distributed and encouraged those that applied for transfer or damaged PVCs to approach the Commission’s Area Council offices and collect their PVCs.
The REC also explained that stakeholder engagements, grassroot sensitization in collaboration with CSOs and other pre-elections activities ahead of the elections are on course.
He appealed to members of the Media to see the successful conduct of the elections as a priority and canvased their support through citizen’s sensitization and mobilization.
Earlier in a welcome address, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, underscored the importance of the Media to elections hence the Forum which according to him, was put together due to INECs “deep respect for the media as a critical and indispensable partner in the electoral process”.
He urged the media to use their immense powers for good cause, continue to support INEC to conduct free, fair, credible, and inclusive elections adding that INEC is always open to constructive but not destructive criticisms.
On his part, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) FCT Council, Emmanuel Ogbeche, applauded INEC for its continuous recognition of the place of the media in social mobilization and participation especially in the electoral process.
He called on journalists to see the engagement as a patriotic duty of using their various platforms and programmes to harp on the electoral process, while urging the Commission not lose sight of the business aspect of the media.

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