To intensify efforts towards public sensitisation on the imperative of getting their voters’ card and participating in the upcoming elections, YMonitor Kastina state ambassador Bishir Dauda organised a one-day voter sensitisation for Civil Society Organisations, Faith-based, Women and Youth Organizations in Kastina.
The sensitisation was held at the Kastina Vocational Center on Saturday 21st May and had leaders and members of Civil Society Organizations, the community, Women and Youth Based Organisations and Journalists in attendance. The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner of Katsina state was represented by the Public Relations Officer of the commission.
Other facilitators in the event include Mr Lawal Lawal, Coordinator, Polling Units Ambassadors of Nigeria, Katsina state Chapter, Mr Hamza Shehu Kankia, Executive Director, PVC Awareness Forum, Katsina, Hajia Rabi Mohammed, Focal person for YIAGA AFRICA in Katsina state and Gambo Wada, Executive Director, Serve Africa Initiative.
A communique was issued at the end of the sensitisation with crucial recommendations, such as INEC should strengthen its partnership with relevant agencies to checkmate the menace of Vote buying and electoral violence during general elections and in the primary elections of political parties.
The communique also offered probably strategies to mitigate the increasing voter apathy in Nigeria. According to them, voter apathy will only compound our woes as a nation. The only antidote to bad leaders is active citizen participation in the electoral processes, either as voters or contestants.