Uzoma Nzeagwu, Awka.
With just weeks to the November Governorship election in Anambra State, ElectHER, a Pan-African non-partisan organization, has expressed the concern that insecurity, fewer woman participation and lack of Trust on Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) may hamper voter’s turnout in the forthcoming election.
Speaking at Stakeholders engagement roundtable yesterday, the Chief Executive Officer, CEO, ElectHER, Ibijoke Faborode, observed that Anambra State has a legacy of women’s political visibility, from Dame Virginia Etiaba’s tenure as Nigeria’s first female governor to consistently high numbers of female legislators.
She also explained that a pre-assessment report by ElectHER highlights a striking contrast as follows, “Despite Anambra’s 5.6 million residents and 5,720 polling units, and with women making up 58% of new voter registrants, they currently occupy only 0.6% of elected positions.
“This is a glaring gap between voter strength and representation, one that must be urgently closed. We cannot allow insecurity and systemic exclusion to silence women in a state where they form such a significant share of the electorate”.
In a remark, Zigwai Tagwai, ElectHER’s Democracy and Governance Programs Lead, noted that collaborative action by INEC, political parties, the media, and security actors would be key to restoring trust and boosting turnout.
In separate interviews, the stakeholders echoed their concerns with practical recommendations, even as Mr. Gabriel Okpaleze called for electronic transmission of results to prevent delays that often fuel disillusionment, and Mr. Chukwudi Philip, a journalist, urged the media to intensify fact-checking and avoid amplifying unverified claims.
On his part, Comrade Ernest Nnoli pressed for more effective deployment of BVAS technology and systematic verification of information to counter fake news, while some Civil Society Organizations(CSOs) present, including the Development for Community Democracy Advocacy Initiative (DECODA), the Centre for Development and Empowerment of Knowledge (CEDEK), and the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) network, stressed that misinformation, insecurity and weak party commitments remain key barriers to women’s participation.
Recall that the Stakeholder Engagement Roundtable, held in Awka, brought together representatives of INEC, security agencies, political parties, civil society, academia, journalists and grassroots leaders. Discussions centred on voter mobilisation, women’s participation and strategies to deliver credible, inclusive and peaceful polls. The engagement was convened with support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) programme, which partners with civil society to deepen electoral integrity and inclusion.
Earlier, ElectHER Executive had held the roundtable with an advocacy visit to the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC). State Commandant CMDT. Maku Olatunde reaffirmed the Corps’ commitment to safeguarding the elections before, during, and after the polls. He further assured that female officers will be adequately deployed, stressing that inclusivity in security operations is essential to guaranteeing safe and credible elections in Anambra State.
