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Civic Education
It
is a notorious fact that Nigeria had never witnessed a
peaceful electoral process from a civil democratic
rule to another civil rule. The violence usually
experienced during the electoral process had hitherto
constituted a major catalyst to the truncating of
democratic rule in Nigeria. The women and youths were
usually the tools for such undemocratic behaviors.
Although women and youths formed a higher percentage
of voters, they are also the instruments for vote
rigging, election violence, vote sales, multiple
voting and disqualified votes.
The last National General
elections held in 2003 was an eloquent testimony of a
large turnout of women and youths voters most of whom
were not registered and whose votes were disqualified
as bad votes for failure to comply with official
regulations for voting.
From WOCON's experience at
monitoring elections in South West Nigeria, this
trend of voting irregularities could be categorized
into five types. These are:
The failure of women and youths particularly those
within the ages of 18-22 to register as voters.
The lack of education on procedure for voting
leading to the disqualification of a large percentage
of votes by women (especially illiterate women) and
youths
Sales of votes by politician predominantly to
women and youths who are were mostly vulnerable on
account of poverty.
Multiple voting
especially by the youth.
All these malpractices are
catalyst to the emergence of corrupt and inept
political office holders and electoral
violence which
can derail the already fragile Democratic Rule.
consequently for the sustenance of democracy in
Nigeria, there is need to educate the women and the
youths on issues relating to voter rights,
registration process, voting procedure, vigilance to
avoid voting irregularities, prevention of election
day violence, and the adverse consequences of selling
votes.
As the 2007 general
Elections drew near there was a heightened anxiety
over the success of the electoral process and a break
from previous derailment of the Democratic system of
Governance. Past electoral processes in Nigeria had
resulted into violent eruptions and subsequent
military take over. Consequently in order to sustain
the fragile Democracy it had become extremely
important to embark upon massive voter and civic
education of the Populace.
'For
the sustenance of democracy in Nigeria therefore,
there is need to educate the community leaders, women
and the youths on issues relating to voter rights,
registration process, voting procedure, vigilance to
avoid voting irregularity, prevention of electoral
violence and the adverse consequences of selling
votes. Furthermore, apathy to voting and lack of
adequate knowledge for the voting procedure has also
contributed to the derailment of democratic rule in
Nigeria. Consequently it had become imperative to
address the issue through voter education and
sensitization of the populace towards ensuring a
peaceful electoral process and in order to facilitate
smooth transition to another term of civil democratic
Rule..
The project "voters
education for women and youths in South - West
Nigeria" is a multifaceted approach for voter
education and sensitization, training of trainers of
voter educators and setting up of State's Task force
committees for voter monitoring. The project Manager
and coordinator of the project Mrs. 'Bisi Olateru -
Olagbegi, Executive Director of WOCON, a legal
practitioner, gender consultant and human rights
trainer with a wide experience in trainings and
campaigns for good governance and sustainable
democracy.
WOCON posseses an
abundance of resourse persons which include political
scientists, management consultants and renowned gender
and human rights trainers in its membership and
consultants.
