Oshimili South Stakeholders Commit To Support INEC's Expansion Of Voter's Access To Polling Units

 Oshimili South Stakeholders Commit To Support INEC's Expansion Of Voter's Access To Polling Units

Okonta Emeka Okelum, Asaba

As Nigerians are increasingly demonstrating apathy towards active participation in electoral process, stakeholders were engaged to fashion out solutions to this ugly trend.

The nation's electoral umpire, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), today, Wednesday, at her Oshimili South LGA secretariat, unveiled to stakeholders reasons behind the steady decrease in the percentage of voters participating in the electoral processes since 1999.

According to Mr Enyioma Mboma, INEC Oshimili South LGA's Electoral Officer, as he shared record of database demonstrating the number of registered voters, polling units, registered voters per polling unit and percentage of voters turnout between 1999 through 2019, stakeholders were convinced to key into INEC's exercise.

INEC's database unveiled that during the 1999 and 2003 general elections, the commission recorded 57,938,945 and 60,823,022 as registered voters respectively.

Number of registered voters per polling unit within same election years, stood at 482.9 and 506.9 respectively, while, percentage of voters turnout was 52.26% and 69.08% respectively, in 1999 and 2003.

The electoral officer's database of citizen's participation in the nation's electoral process in 2015 and 2019 general elections, unveiled the reasons behind the commission's move towards implementing an exercise on expansion of voter's access to polling unit.

Mr Enyioma Mboma, informed  stakeholders present about, the commission's records during 2015 and 2019 general elections.

According to him, the number of registered voters in 2015 was 67,422,005, while in 2019, it stood at 84,004,084. 

He also pointed out that the number of registered voters per polling unit in 2015 was 561.9, while in 2019, it increased to 700.1.

Regrettably, the electoral officer unveiled that the percentage of voters turnout took a downward trend in the years under review.

Mr Enyioma Mboma, maintained the commission's record on percentage of voters turnout in 2015 was 43.65%, while in 2019, it decreased further to 35.66%.

This downward trend worried the commission and after many researches were conducted to find out what was behind the drop in percentage of voters turnout, it was discovered that as the number of registered voters increased progressively from 1999 through 2019, the number of polling units over the years remained fixed at 119, 973 polling units nation wide.

Based on the above premise, was the commission's reasons for implementing this exercise on expansion of voters access to polling unit, electoral officer told stakeholders.

Stakeholders present expressed satisfaction over INEC's moves towards expanding voter's access to polling units.

Some of the stakeholders had earlier mentioned challenges and difficulties voters within their wards face, as they tried to exercise their electoral franchise and engage in legal civic participation as citizens.

Stakeholders also urged the commission to grant them ample time to reach out to their respective ward stakeholders, interact and engage with them, so that suitable locations can be identified.

The electoral officer informed stakeholders present that 29th April, 2021, is the official deadline for this exercise and assured stakeholders about the commission's preparedness to approve and convert any suitable location, according to INEC's specification, from voting point to polling unit.

Ogbueshi Dada Okonji, Oshimili South LGA PDP Party Chairman; Hon Obi Kelvin Ezenyili, Executive Chairman, Oshimili South LGA and Hon Ekene Shedrack Rapu, Member Representing, Oshimili South State Constituency at the Delta State House of Assembly, led other political actors from PDP Oshimili South LGA Chapter to the stakeholders engagement.

Other stakeholders were drawn from executive and legislative arms of Oshimili South LGA, political appointees, leaders of political parties, security personnel, youth and women leaders, community bases organizations, faith based organizations, media and other interest groups.

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