Anambra Guber: Women Protest to INEC Office Over Delayed Preparations
By Chukwudi Ndubeze
A coalition of Women Organizations in Anambra State on Monday, staged a peaceful demonstration to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Anambra state, demanding early preparation of electoral processes and voter education.
The protest was in preparation for the November 6 gubernatorial election in the state, Orient Daily learnt.
The women displayed placards with various inscriptions; “INEC early planning ensures free and fair selection, INEC Extend Your Political Units to Markets, Prisons,” “INEC End the Delay. Preparation For The Gubernatorial Election Is Getting Late.”
Among other demands, the women said they want the state electoral body to be on their toes to ensure qualitative voter education, registration, and participation that will pave way for credible election in the state.
Addressing INEC officials on behalf of the coalition, the State Coordinator of Women For Women Anambra State Chapter, Bar. Oge Ekweozor called on INEC to take the bull by the horn and ride to their responsibilities of educating members of the public.
They said INEC procrastination in embarking on voter registration and sensitization may draw the state back to the woods where it witnessed low participation in election thereby negating the ploy for a free and fair governorship election in the state.
“It is the dream of all citizens that due processes are followed to ensure a free and fair election. It is appalling that up till now, INEC has not set the machinery rolling for a credible election.
“Based on past experiences, it is unbelievable that INEC has not started the registration of voters, sensitization of the citizens on their rights and responsibility through voter education both terrestrial and in the media.”
While the group decried that over 75 percent of the women were disenfranchised in the 2017 election due to ill planning from the electoral body, they however called on INEC to kick start voter registration and update their voter register.
The women, who said their action was in commemoration of the International Day of Women, called for the inclusion of women in politics and decision making. They also vowed to resist violence against women in Nigeria politics.
Comprised of over 20 groups, they demanded the need to extend the electoral polling facilities and processes to all nooks and crannies, especially markets, to make it easy for women to be involved in the electoral processes.
Responding, the Anambra state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Nwachukwu Orji while commending the women for the peaceful protest assured that so much had been ongoing within the body in respect to the planning of the election.
Orji, represented by the Head of Electoral Operations, Innocent Ekwulo, said the commission is set to roll out their continuous voter registration exercise adding that the body has a gender policy that targets all genders particularly women as voters and stakeholders in the electoral process.
He challenged women to mobilize and galvanize themselves to be involved in the electoral process stating that it is only when they arm themselves as voters they can vote.
