By Oluwagbemiga Toye
The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has called on eligible voters in Ekiti State to shun voter apathy and actively participate in the forthcoming governorship election, warning that low voter turnout continues to weaken Nigeria’s democratic process.
The Director-General of the Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, made the appeal during a one-day stakeholders’ town hall meeting on voter education and sensitisation held in Ado-Ekiti. The programme was organised by the Ekiti State office of the NOA as part of preparations for the state’s governorship election.
Represented by the South-West Zonal Coordinator of the Agency, Mr Kehinde Ogunkuade, Issa-Onilu stressed the need for sustained voter sensitisation to encourage citizens to exercise their franchise and fulfil their civic responsibilities.
According to him, the engagement was designed to focus on three critical areas: combating voter apathy, discouraging vote buying and vote merchandising, and preventing election-related violence.
He lamented that voter apathy had continued to undermine democratic governance in the country, noting that many citizens had become disillusioned and no longer believed that their votes could make a difference.
“Many citizens have become discouraged and now believe that their votes will not count, while others have lost confidence in governance and therefore choose to stay away from elections,” he said.
Issa-Onilu urged residents of the state to reject such perceptions and embrace their civic duty.
“Every eligible voter in Ekiti State must understand that voting is not merely a political activity; it is a civic responsibility. I therefore urge all eligible voters to come out peacefully on election day and exercise their constitutional rights,” he added.
The NOA boss also advised political actors to conduct themselves peacefully and accept the outcome of the election in good faith, stressing that violence-free elections would strengthen democratic institutions and preserve the integrity of the electoral process.
He warned political parties and their supporters against treating the election as a do-or-die affair, assuring that security agencies were prepared to tackle any attempt to disrupt the electoral process.
Issa-Onilu further appealed to parents and guardians not to allow their children and wards to be used as tools for violence during the election.
In her remarks, the Ekiti State Director of NOA, Mrs Kemi Akomolede, emphasised that democracy thrives when citizens understand and actively participate in the electoral process.
“A vote is more than a piece of paper or a thumbprint. It represents your voice, your power and your right to choose leaders who will shape and develop our country. That is why no eligible voter should stay away from the polls,” she said.
Akomolede urged voters to turn out en masse on election day and vote for candidates of their choice, noting that the Director-General had mandated the stakeholders’ engagement to ensure that citizens were adequately informed and prepared to participate peacefully in the election.
She also cautioned against vote buying and vote trading, warning that such practices amount to mortgaging the future of the state and its people.
Also speaking, the Director-General of the Ekiti State Bureau of Civic Orientation, Mrs Olawunmi Famuyiwa, expressed concern over the relatively low number of registered voters in the state’s electoral register. She, however, encouraged all registered voters to overcome apathy and participate actively in the election by casting their votes on election day.
The town hall meeting was attended by representatives of security agencies, traditional and religious leaders, market men and women, trade unions, students, media practitioners, political parties, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and other stakeholders.