The European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria and the International Press Centre have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to build citizens’ trust in the electoral processing, through transparency as well as timely and accurate communication.
The EUSDGN and IPC spoke at Ikogosi Ekiti, Ekiti State on Saturday, the 12th of October, 2024, at a two-day workshop on “Effective communication in electoral process: Communicating with empathy and expertise,” organised for staff of Ondo State INEC preparatory to the November 16, 2024 governorship election in the state.
The workshop, a component of EUSDGN, was organised by IPC in partnership with DAI and Centre for Media Society, with the goal of enhancing the electoral process in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, who spoke on behalf of the organisers, said that citizens’ trust in the the election management body was a necessary condition for polls to be acceptable, saying such could be achieved by INEC through “conveying messages that are accurate, timely and accessible”.
Arogundade said, “Clear and transparent communication is essential for building trust with the electorate, ensuring that citizens are well-informed about the electoral processes and addressing any concerns that may arise.
“From our work on elections, we discovered that there are elements of mistrust on the part of the people on INEC. We believe that if INEC engages the electorate very well, then, they may be able to regain their trust.
“When there is no trust, no matter what INEC does, the perception will be there that they are not doing it very well. My advice to INEC in Ondo state is for them to understand the crisis of perception. So they have to prepare for it to ensure people have the required confidence in the electoral process.”
He advised the political parties participating in the Ondo governorship election to play by the rules to ensure peaceful exercise, adding that candidates and parties whose supporters are involved in violence, would be held responsible.
Arogundade also advised registered voters in Ondo state to participate in the electoral process by going to cast their ballots, saying, “It is your responsibility to elect the government that you want. If the majority sit at home, then the minority will determine your fate for the next four years.
“I will also advise the electorate that it is not worth it to sell your votes. There is no amount given to you to buy your vote that can solve your problem. Voters should shun inducement from the political parties and vote according to their conscience,” the IPC Executive Director said.
The INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ondo State, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, said the workshop would boost the communication capacity of the electoral body’s staff and as well positively impact on the confidence of the public, electorate and political parties.
The REC assured that INEC was set to conduct a credible, free, fair, inclusive and transparent governorship election where every vote would count in Ondo State next month.
Babalola said, “We are prepared. We are doing a lot on voter education through various channels – mass media, grassroot mobilisers, we are working with CSOs who are already on the field mobilising and creating awareness. We have had several workshops with different groups – security agencies, youth, women, and people with disabilities.
