The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission, in partnership with International Foundation for Electoral Systems, has organised a voter education needs assessment and capacity-building workshop in a bid to tackle voter apathy in the state.
The Permanent Secretary, LASIEC, Dr Olayiwole Onasanya, in a statement signed by the commission’s Public Affairs Officer, Mr Tope Ojo, on Tuesday, stated that the workshop was organised to review and strengthen the civic/voter education drive.
He said, “Voter education is to sensitise the electorates on the importance of participating in elections. It is essential in ensuring that citizens are encouraged, informed, and provided with basic information about participating in elections so as to freely express their political choices through a trusted electoral process.
“The commission is deeply concerned about the rising tide of voter apathy in the country, especially in Lagos; more people are really getting disinterested and disenchanted in political and electoral participation which affects the credibility of elections, hence the need for the workshop.
“LASIEC is collaborating with the Independent National Electoral Commission in ensuring that the issue of voter apathy is tackled headlong in the state through aggressive public sensitisation for people to get registered, collect their voters’ cards, and vote during elections.”
The Country Deputy Director of IFES, Mr Micheal Obaji, stated that the agency was partnering with LASIEC to ensure that voters’ education in Lagos State for local government and general elections were properly and effectively done to ensure increased participation of residents in elections.
