The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has called on Nigerians to increase their participation in voting ahead of the 2023 general elections.
INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner from Adamawa State, Mr Kassim Gaidam, made the call in an interview with Voice of Nigeria (VON) correspondent at 022 polling unit during an electoral inspection in Maitama Abuja, Nigeria.
Mr Gaidam said Nigerians have the power to elect who they want to lead them by coming out to vote.
“It’s a matter of priority. Some people don’t prioritise the leadership emergence process, which is terrible during elections. People should take it seriously because these are the people that will lead you; you have no basis to complain when you refuse to turn out. Maybe as time goes on through voter education by INEC, NOA, and even the political parties, the candidates’ commitment will pick up.”
He called on stakeholders to mobilise and participate in the election process to strengthen Nigerian democracy so that INEC can handle challenges encountered during the FCT Election to make the 2023 elections more effective.
Mr Gaidam added that “the initial glitches we had have to do with the expansion of the voters’ access, where people called for creating additional polling units. Voters find it difficult to locate their polling unit, and most of them are already here. The Bimodal Accreditation System, BIVAS, is also new; there is no way someone will come to vote with their permanent voter’s card, as the accreditation is electronic; it is facial or bio-metrics, that’s your fingerprint.”
“You know you learn from your mistakes and try to do better, and by the grace of God, the elections for 2023 will have an improvement. The election is not an INEC affair. It involves voters, media, traditional rulers, security agencies, and civil societies to ensure that the election is a success,” INEC Commissioner added.
On the FCT Area Council Elections, the Resident Electoral Commissioner said, “the most important thing is that the election is peaceful and voters are very cooperative and patient to cast their votes despite the little delay that took place during the election.”
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