CIVIC EDUCATION                                                                                           Next>>>>>

It is a notorious fact that Nigeria had never witnessed a peaceful electoral process from a civil democratic rule to another civilSensitization Programme on Elections  Monitoring 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 use of non registered voters by politicians to vote with registration cards obtained with factious names resulting in illegal voting and elections violence

  • 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.

                                                                                                                            

                                                                          FOLUKE ETTEH NEW SPEAKER             
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