Dr Eno Udensi, Head of Mission, Pan African Women Project, has advised South South women to be involved actively in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to ensure they vote in subsequent elections.
Udensi gave the advice in her address during the sensitisation of women from the South South geopolitical zone on the continuous voter registration exercise held in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital on Thursday.
Our Correspondent reports that the sensitisation workshop was organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission ( INEC) in conjunction with the PAN African Women project.
She appealed to women to ensure they register online as that would guaranteed them to have their Permanent Voters Card that would enable them vote for any candidate of their choice at any INEC organised elections.
“This workshop will be organised across the country to sensitise women on the ongoing online Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
“The continuous voter registration has commenced. This is the time for you to go and complete your registration process. Your voter card is your power and your right,” Udensi said.
In her keynote address, Mrs Davidetta Lansanah, Chairperson, National Election Commission, Liberia, said that elections are determined by mass registration of citizens, who show up on election day and vote for their leaders as a right and civic duty.
She urged Nigerians to use the opportunity to go and do their Continuous Voter Registration exercise.
“This is a registration process that is on and you don’t want to miss the opportunity. Registration is the only action you can take in order to vote.
“Don’t sit on the fence, do something, go out and register online or physically. It is only ballot box that can effect change that we want,” she said.
She said that political parties need to take pragmatic action in practicing internal party democracy and putting forward more women candidates at least 50 per cent and helping such candidates in training, fund raising and campaigning.
She said that there was need for government to incorporate civic education as a core subject in primary and secondary schools system to help propagate issues of democracy and rule of law and equitable participation of women in election and decision making.
In her remarks, Mrs Joyce Ndem of PAN African Women project said that the main objective of the programme was to sensitise the women on the Continuous Voter Registration which started on June 28 and would run for one year by INEC.
Ndem said the aim was to address the women from the South South geopolitical zone comprising Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo, Delta, Rivers and Bayelsa states on the new online Registration platform designed by INEC.
