Buhari's Minister Explains Why 12 Million New Registered Voters Cannot Make a Difference, Gives Key Details
- Babatunde Fashola has called on Nigerians and leaders across the globe to avoid being carried away by the 2023 election hype
- The serving minister said that a large number of newly registered voters on the portal of the Independent National Electoral Commission is not enough to change the dynamics of the poll
- Fashola also warned against continued exposure of Nigeria's flaws to the public by some leaders for their personal gain
The minister of works and housing, Babatunde Fashola, on Thursday, September 8, said that the number of newly registered voters in 2022 is far less than those who registered ahead of the 2019 general election.
Stating that the newly registered voters totalling about 12 million will not be enough to change the game in the forthcoming general election, Fashola also warned Nigerians and leaders alike against disrobing the challenges of the country in the global market square.
Source: UGC
Leadership reports that the former Lagos state governor made the disclosure as a keynote speaker at The Niche Annual Lecture in Lagos.
The minister further stated that in 2019, over 14 million newly registered voters which is more than the present number were recorded prior to the elections.
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His words:
“If you look at the number of people who have newly registered to vote in this election, the last number given by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is 12,332,336 people.
"Those are the new voters registered for this election cycle. Whereas in 2019, there were 14,360,053 newly registered voters. While in 2015 there were 6,944,752 newly registered voters."
Fashola warns Nigerians not to be carried away by election hype
The Punch reports that the minister added that if the noise about the 2023 election should be put into consideration, the over 12 million new voters cannot be used as a yardstick to how the polls will swing.
He said:
“We have seen all this hype before and it distracts from the real question which should be: how can democracy, especially the elections coming in 2023 make our lives better and make our country greater.
"Those, for me, are what we should focus on, not about whether there will be or there will not be an election. We should focus on these questions because democracy is simply concerned about popular participation in choosing a leader or set of leaders.”
2023: Women, girls’ inclusion is Nigeria’s chance at development and accountability, says CSOs
Agitations and advocacy for the participation of women and girls between the ages of 18 to 35 years in Nigeria's electoral practice have intensified.
In the build-up to the 2023 general elections, women have been urged to participate either on the ballot or by the ballot.
However, traditional and religious leaders have been urged to support the campaign in sensitising female folks in their immediate environment.
Manually or electronically? INEC reveals how 2023 elections results will be transmitted
INEC's position on how the results of the 2023 general elections will be transmitted is now out in the public domain.
The commission, through its commissioner for Information and voter education committee, Festus Okoye, said the electronic means will be adopted.
Okoye told journalists on Sunday, August 21, that the electronic process used in Ekiti and Osun gubernatorial elections has come to stay.
Source: Legit.ng
