Delta 2023: CSOs, Others Charge INEC, Pol. Parties on Credible, Free, Fair, All-inclusive Election

• Seek active participation of youths, women.

As the timeline of the 2023 general elections draws closer, the national electoral umpire, INEC, has been tasked to ensure a free, fair, credible and all-inclusive polls with emphasis on the need for increase of active participation of the youths and women in electoral/political leadership process.

This forms the content of a nine-paragraph communique issued at the end of a one-day stakeholders townhall meeting on the International Co-working Day Celebration held in Asaba recently.

The meeting which was organized by the Stand-Up For Women Society (SWS) in collaboration with the Elona Development Foundation, had as it’s theme “Credible Elections, Democratic Stability and Women’s Role”, delivered by the keynote speaker, the Director General of the State Orientation Bureau, Eugene Azuka Uzum Esq.

While delivering the address, Azuka, recalled the recent governorship elections conducted by the national electoral umpire in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States, urging INEC to improve on the challenges encountered in the process.

Explaining the purpose of the International Co-working Day Celebration which holds on August 9, every year, the Chairperson of Stand-Up For Women Society, Delta State Chapter, Comrade Mrs. Stella Macaulay, said that the platform provides awareness on what needs to be done by critical stakeholders in advancing the course of society.

Macaulay further disclosed that the stakeholders are meant to assess the various aspects of the society towards the successful achievement of the Sustainable Development Goal, SDG goal 17.

While commending INEC for an improvement in its guidelines and operations, following the introduction of the BVAS machine into the electoral system, Mrs Macaulay tasked the electoral umpire to improve on the credibility of the process to elicit the trust and confidence of Nigerians.

The meeting came up with a nine-paragraph communique which emphasized the need for INEC to timeously facilitate adequate logistics process during the 2023 election, step up voters’ education on how to comply with instructions on the Biometrics Verification System, BIVAS and ensure the election is free and fair.

It also charged INEC to mobilize adequate security agencies and systems to checkmate election violence, thuggery, vote buying and other electoral malpractice, just as it called on the youths and women to actively participate in the next election.

The meeting expressed dismay at the high cost of conducting elections in the country, calling for drastic measures to be taken to cut down the huge budgetary allocations.

It also charged INEC to maintain its independence and remain unbiased in order to facilitate true federalism and good governance at all level of government, just as it called for the full implementation of the resolution of the 1995 Beijing Conference which specified 35% of all elective positions to be reserved for women at all levels of government.

Other critical stakeholders present at the one-day meeting include INEC REC represented by the Director of Voters’ Education, Mr. Bukola Ojeme, the Chairman of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists (NAWOJ), Comrade Sonia Unobunjo and other guests who presented various papers.