The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed Monday, November 6, 2021 as the date for the Anambra governorship election.
This was disclosed by Festus Okoye, INEC’s chairman of information and voter education committee.
See the statement below:
Meanwhile, INEC said it has identified five critical areas of concern in the Anambra governorship election.
This was contained in a statement titled “Anambra governorship election: INEC identifies five critical areas of concern” issued on January 16.
The affected areas are:
- expanding voter access to Polling Units in the context of a growing population,
- the growth of new settlements across the country and validation of the Voters roll and Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in the shadow of the COVID- 19 pandemic,
- amendment of the Electoral Act that would improve the conduct of free, fair, transparent elections;
- deepening technology in the electoral process, and,
- rolling out Electoral Voting Machines for the Anambra Governorship election.
In the statement, INEC also expressed concern on how to increase Voter turnout in future elections and to effectively manage electoral success recorded in the previous elections in Edo and Ondo States.
The statement reads:
“The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified five critical areas of concern and challenges likely to confront the Commission in the conduct of the Anambra Governorship election this year and the 2023 general elections.
“These areas of concern include expanding voter access to Polling Units in the context of a growing population, the growth of new settlements across the country and validation of the Voters roll and Continuous Voters Registration (CVR) in the shadow of the COVID- 19 pandemic.
“Others are the amendment of the Electoral Act that would improve the conduct of free, fair, transparent elections; deepening technology in the electoral process and rolling out Electoral Voting Machines for the Anambra Governorship election.
“Equally of great concern to the Commission is how to increase Voter turnout in future elections and how to effectively manage electoral success recorded in the last two off -season elections in Edo and Ondo States.”
INEC said that its Voter Education Manual is being reviewed by the Department of Voter Education and Publicity (VEP) with the aim of identifying and including best methods of designing voter education messages to increase citizens’ participation in the electoral process.
While noting that the exercise is being supported by the Westminster Foundation for Democracy, it added:
“For the Commission to achieve the concerns enumerated above, the IVEC Chairman challenged the department (VEP) to design new, creative and innovate messages that would address the electoral concerns and challenges of the Youth and Students population.
“The Chairman reminded VEP Staff that in designing voter education messages, they must be able to compete effectively on the social media and “our narratives and messages must be clear, concise and believable.”
The Commission stressed that it has resolved to sustain the momentum of the successes recorded in the Edo and Ondo Governorship elections and also increase voter turnout in elections through the provision of access to the Polling Units.
“We must build multi-sector coalitions for the sustenance of the electoral process and consolidation of democracy.”
On the issue of Voter Register, INEC said that the is determined to clean up the Voters’ Register and register all those that are eligible and constitutionally qualified to be registered.
See timeline of election activities below:
