Nigerian voters have the right to remove ineffective political leaders from office, as highlighted by Gabriel Yomere, the resident electoral commissioner for Cross River.
This declaration was delivered at the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) and leaders of civil society organisations’ second quarter consultative meeting in Calabar.
Mr. Yomere asked people to reject the idea that all politicians should be allowed to serve two terms, regardless of their achievements. After denouncing ineffective politicians, he attacked the election-day custom of remaining indoors, branding it as wasteful and reckless.
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Yomere stated, “After assuming duty as the REC in Cross River in 2022, I went through the records and saw that the 2019 election turnout was extremely poor. I became very worried and decided to do something about it. But after the 2023 election, the outcome remained poor.”
He emphasised the role that civil society organisations play in the electoral process and asked for their assistance in encouraging voters to cast ballots. He urged these organisations to assist in organising the populace and declared that the Continuous Voter Registration initiative would soon begin.
“Civil society organisations are critical stakeholders in the electoral process. They need to work with INEC and security agencies to achieve results,” he added.
The Nigerian Bar Association’s (Calabar chapter) chairman, Nsikak Ikpeme, stated that voter apathy in the 2023 gubernatorial race was a result of discontent with the electoral process.
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Declaring that “this will rebuild confidence and trust in the system,” he asked INEC to be open to implementing technology in order to guarantee a legitimate election process.
The Cross River NASFAT commissioner, Abdulkadir Ibrahim, commended INEC for the consultative meeting and recommended that these kinds of gatherings take place more regularly.
In order to improve grassroots mobilisation, Julie Agbor, president of the National Council of Women Society, advocated for a larger participation of women’s organisations in INEC’s operations.
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