Political Parties have been called upon to ensure
adequate mobilisation of their
supporters and followers to participate
actively in all future elections.
The Independent National Electoral
Commission (INEC) and the mass media
made the call in a communiqué signed
at the end of their meeting in Abuja on
Monday.
A Director with African Independent
Television (AIT), Mr Augustine
Agbonsuremi, signed for the media and
the INEC National Commissioner for
Information, Prince Solomon Soyebi,
signed for INEC.
The communiqué which was issued at
the end of the INEC’s quarterly
meeting with the media noted with
concern, the low turn out of voters
particularly during the recent re-run
and by-elections.
The meeting also urged eligible
Nigerians to register during the
forthcoming nationwide Continuous
Voter Registration (CVR) slated for
April.
It underscored the need for the
commission to accelerate its
engagement with the National Assembly
for the prompt passage of the
amendments to the Electoral Act 2010
(as amended).
According to the meeting, this has
become necessary to further improve
the electoral process ahead the 2019
general elections in the country.
“We also lauded the Commission’s new
ICT initiatives intended to broaden the
scope of elections and data
management,’’ the communique said.
It, however, called on the Federal
Government to take the necessary
steps toward filling the vacancies in 33
states of the Federation where the
tenures of the incumbent Resident
Electoral Commissioners (RECs) have
expired.
The meeting commended the INEC for
developing a template for fixing dates
for general elections in Nigeria as it is
the usual practice in many democratic
countries.
It also stressed the need for dates
earlier announced by the commission