Voter Registration: Women Outnumber Men In Enugu – INEC Commissioner

Women have outnumbered men in the ongoing voter registration exercise in Enugu State, Mr Emeka Ononammadu, the state’s resident electoral commissioner declared on Monday.

Ononammadu stated this at a zonal workshop organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Enugu to encourage women’s participation in registration and collection of voters’ card.

At the workshop tagged ‘women’s participation in the continuous voter registration and collection of permanent voters’ cards: the role of civil society organizations’ the INEC Commissioner said: “Contrary to figures in most states of the federation that more men registered on the ongoing voter registration, more women registered in the state. This is heart-warming and a pointer that women have woken from their political slumber. However, a lot needs to be done ahead of 2019. It is only with the permanent voters’ cards that one can vote, hence both registration and collection should be taken seriously.”

Speaking at the zonal workshop jointly organised by the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), INEC’s Deputy Director, Gender Division, Mrs Blessing Obidegwu, said the commission has increased its emphasis women’s partaking in electoral process.

“The INEC has stepped up actions on voter registration with emphasis on increasing women’s participation in the electoral process, mostly through sensitization and mobilization programmes. This has become necessary as political consciousness and informed choices are key factors in the electoral democracy,” said Mrs Obidegwu

On her part, Ms Teresa Mauro, who represented the project director of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Mr David Le Notre, at the workshop, said women’s participation in electoral processes helps to spice up democracy.

“Women’s participation enriches democracy and makes it more responsive to the aspirations of the people. The women are born managers and this is manifested in the prudent manner they manage household resources and nurture children from cradle to adulthood. All these attest to the organizational prowess of women which if translated into governance can lead to sustainable development,” she said.

Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, a director of INEC who also spoke at the workshop, said: “INEC carries out capacity building across the federation to ensure a successful election in 2019 and beyond. We are deploying more technology as well. Card readers have been enhanced and our efforts are being complemented by the National Communications Commission and the NICOMsat. We also partner various security agencies to ensure a hitch-free exercise. I want to emphasise that without permanent voters’ cards, voting is impossible.”