As residents of Kaduna State prepare to elect Local Government Chairmen across its 23 Local Government Areas (LGAs), the Gender Awareness Trust (GAT) and the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) have issued a strong plea to voters, urging them to resist the temptation of selling their votes.
During a press conference, Dr. Lydia Umar, Executive Director of GAT, emphasized that voters who sell their votes risk being shortchanged in the long run. “Whoever buys your vote will seek to recoup that money once in office,” she warned, stressing the long-term consequences of such actions on governance and public service delivery.
Dr. Umar further urged voters to ensure the security of their votes by cooperating with security personnel to prevent the snatching of ballot boxes and ensuring that vote counting takes place transparently at the ward level.
Addressing the issue of women’s political participation, Dr. Umar lamented the low representation of women in elective positions since the return of democracy in 2019. “Women and young people make up over 67% of voters during general elections and over 80% in local government elections, yet they have occupied less than 3% of democratically elected positions,” she noted. Despite some progress in appointive positions, with women holding about half of the positions in the Kaduna State Executive Council and the office of the Deputy Governor, Dr. Umar pointed to systemic, cultural, and violent obstacles that continue to hinder women’s full participation in politics.
In a final call to action, GAT and IFES encouraged voters to come out with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and exercise their civic duty. “We call on all voters to ensure a peaceful election by being orderly in queues and giving priority to the elderly, pregnant women, nursing mothers, and people with disabilities,” Dr. Umar urged.
The organizations also stressed the need for a free, fair, and peaceful election process, urging election officials to remain professional and diligent in their duties. Additionally, GAT and IFES called on the media to be conflict-sensitive in their reporting to prevent incitement or tension during the electoral process.
Finally, in line with their efforts to increase women’s representation in politics, GAT urged both men and women to support female candidates. “We call on all men (He4She) and women (She4She) to vote for women candidates and give them the opportunity to contribute to the running of our local governments alongside men,” Dr. Umar concluded.
