The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will deploy 12,000 ad hoc personnel for the February 12 area council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Alhaji Yahaya Bello, said this on Wednesday in Abuja during a town hall meeting with women groups and gender-focused civil society organizations organised by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), INEC, Yiaga Africa, European Union (EU) and others.
This commission also assured that it would provide level playing field for candidates participating in the election.
Bello, represented by the Administrative Secretary of INEC in the FCT, Barrister Waziri Zannah, expressed the commission’s readiness to conduct a free and fair poll, assuring of a level playing field for all stakeholders.
He charged women groups to sensitize and mobilize other women and youth to come out en masse during the election and to vote for their preferred candidates.
“It is high time women to out en-mass and participate in electoral process. The commission provides a level playing ground for both women and men and eligible voters. INEC will count everyone vote and will also be transparency in all we do concerning the election.
We have everything ready and would be deploying over 12,000 ad-hoc staff.
“In the meantime, CSOs have a duty to perform after this function because out CSOs and the women groups are to enlighten our youths. In any election, whenever there is problem, it is our youths. These youths are your sons, brothers and they listen to you as mothers, sisters, whatever you tell them they will listen. They need to be educated on the need to have a peaceful election,” he said.
The Deputy Project Coordinator, ECES, Mr. Wilson Manji, urged election stakeholders to be committed in ensuring that women enjoy balanced access to voting rights because they constitute a sensible percentage that cannot be disregarded in the society.
“It is on this note that we commend the huge efforts of representatives within women, PWDs, Civil Society Organizations and youth organizations in engaging the ongoing electoral and constitutional reform process, towards making important changes in the legal framework in a way that serves a greater participation and representation of marginalized groups.
“All critical stakeholders in the society have to invest important effort that will ensure citizens have equal access to voting rights, and help make these rights real and effective, not only because women represent more than 50 percent of the population, but because they are part of the society, important pillars of the nation and an important resource base for democratic development and advancement,” Manji said.
He also urged women in FCT to broke the jinx of low women participation in election, as a signpost to the 2023 General Elections.
He said experience had shown that less numbers of the voting population, including women participate in local government elections, in spite the critical roles the third tier of government played in the development of the nation.
“I want to challenge you all to change the narrative starting with the FCT area council poll. It is very important. There is a lot that your representatives at the FCT council level have to offer.
“You must engage them, starting from the election process, while you translate this engagement towards holding them accountable for the promises that they made,” he said.
He said that ECES was supporting INEC for successful conduct of FCT area council election because the center knew the critical role area councils played in the development of the nation.
He said, “Engaging stakeholders ahead of each elections helps to promote understanding of the process while also deepening transparency, accountability and credibility of the same.
“Indeed, democracy can better deliver when elections are inclusive, since it guarantees the possibility to make the voices of people heard, especially those of marginalized groups, namely, youth, women and persons with disability.”
On her part, Director, Gender and Inclusivity Department, INEC, Mrs. Blessing Obidegwu, stressed the need for women groups and CSOs to strategize and facilitate the inclusiveness of women during the council election.
She said that the equal participation of women and men in all aspects of public life is a key principle of democracy, noting that the place of gender equality in democracy cannot be overemphasized.
She said, “Women constitute almost half of the country’s population and form a critical mass of voters they cannot be ignored.
“CSOs and women leaders and all those responsible or concerned are to strategize and facilitate the process of enabling the active participation of women by ensuring identified challenges are mitigated if not completely eradicated before the election date.”
Also, the President, National Council for Women Societies (NCWS) FCT Chapter, Hajiya Hadiza Umar, said the organization was willing to partner with INEC to mobilize women.
Umar, represented by Mrs Franca Akpan, said it was time to mobilise women, especially the young to participate more in the election.
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