INEC hires, trains 17 CSOs for door-to-door sensitisation in Enugu

This move is an attempt to improve on citizens election participation and voter education, Dr Emeka Ononamadu, Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Enugu State, said in a statement.

Ononamadu added that the aim was to create more and direct interface between voters and INEC for citizens effective understanding of the electoral and voting processes.

INEC also believes that CSOs are non-partisan; thus, they are in a better position to reach out to citizens with education materials.

During the door-to-door education, INEC education posters, handbills, leaflets and other publicity materials will be taken to the nooks and crannies of the 17 Local Government Areas of the state.

Part of the responsibilities of the CSOs in Enugu State is to explain to the citizens the reasons they should vote, the process of voting, the need for violence-free and peaceful elections, he said.

According to him, the citizens will also be educated on how to protect instead of harass women and other vulnerable groups during voting.

Ononamadu advised citizens to use the opportunity of the sensitisation to ask questions on the entire electoral process.

The door-to-door campaign is not for collection of PVCs.

PVCs are collected from our offices.

INEC is therefore calling on citizens to listen to voter information.

The commission is using this opportunity to call on citizens to come out en-masse on Feb. 16 and March 2 to cast their vote, he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that each of the CSOs would handle each of the 17 council areas of the state in the exercise.

Enugu State currently has 1,942,776 registered voters and 4,146 voting locations comprising 2,958 polling units and 1,188 voting points.

The state has 260 political wards within.