By Stephen Adeleye
Lokoja, July 26, 2023
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has launched its sensitisation and engagement of stakeholders towards the successful conduct the 2023 governorship election in Kogi.
Speaking at the event on Wednesday in Lokoja, the Director of NOA, Dr. Garba Abari, said the campaign was to sensitise the stakeholders on understanding the new electoral act, civic participation and peace.
Abari affirmed the readiness of the agency to partner with relevant stakeholders, willing to promote and mobilise Nigerians to participate in a peaceful and orderly election, where the outcome represents the informed choice of the people.
Abari expressed concern over the relatively poor turnout of voters, in spite the seeming enthusiasm shown by Nigerians towards the 2023 general election.
He disclosed that out of the total number of 93.47 million registered voters, only 24.9 million person actually voted during the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
According to him, the turnouts represent a meagre 26.72 per cent of voters, which is actually the lowest percentage since the return to democracy in 1999.
“Some have even said the turn out is the worst since Nigeria’s Independence. In 36 states, less than half of the eligible population turned out to vote, and no state had a turnout above 40 per cent.
“In the three largest states based on voter registration — Lagos, Kano and Rivers — less than a third of the eligible population voted. Rivers turnout was a poor 15.6 per cent, the lowest in the country, despite producing a lot more votes in past elections. Overall, voter apathy is a major challenge in Nigeria’s democracy.
“There is a worrying trend of public disinterest in or indifference towards the electoral and democratic processes.
In 1999, turnout was 52.3 per cent. Officially, it grew to 69 per cent in 2003; and it has fallen since then, first to 57.5 per cent in 2007; then to 53.7 per cent in 2011; before dropping to 43.7 per cent in 2015.
“We are hoping that INEC and other stakeholders will consider our request to partner with NOA to undertake a special study on the causes of poor voter turn out during elections in Nigeria,” Abari said.
The director general stressed that many have predicted a violent November 11 governorship election in Kogi, expressed his confident that Kogi would demonstrate its well known character for love, orderliness and peace during the coming elections.
“We are hoping that the intension of the new electoral act to facilitate inclusion of the vulnerable in the society especially women, the young and the people living with disability will be fulfilled as we prepare and hold Kogi governorship elections.
“We need to inspire confidence in the democratic model which has served several countries so well.
“The level of violence, manipulations, desperation exhibited during election have generally given democracy a bad name and all of us as Nigerians have a duty to put a stop to that,” he said.
According to him, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), in line with its mandate, has since been championing voter sensitization and citizens’ mobilization to ensure the new Electoral Act is well understood by citizens and given effect by all relevant stakeholders.
Earlier, the Acting State Director of NOA, Mr Patrick Edogbanya, said the stakeholders meeting would add impetus on the sensitisation programme to help eschew any form of violence before, during and after the election.
In his remarks, the Commissioner of Police in Kogi State CP Onuoha Bethrand who was represented by the Police Area Commander in Lokoja, ACP Sikiru Suara, said officers of the command were fully ready for an hitch free exercise.
He warned any individual who intends to perpetrate violence before, during and after the election would be arrested and prosecuted.
Others stakeholders spoke at the event, such as the Chairman, Kogi State Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Ukweyan Musa, Chairperson, Kogi State Non-Governmental Organization Network, (KONGONET), Idris Muraina, traditional rulers, religious leaders, among others.
They called for fervent prayers for peaceful election, and enjoined parents to caution their wards on the need to abstain from any form of violence that would truncate the peace election process in Kogi State in November.
End