ActionAid, CCSI call for true participatory democracy, good governance

Speaking on the occasion to mark the 2022 Democracy Day organized by ActionAid Nigeria and CCSI with  funding from the Foreign, Commonwealth Development Office (FCDO), the group faulted the low pace of true democracy, saying that despite the 23 years of uninterrupted democratic rule, Nigerians are yet to see the much-anticipated dividends of democracy.

Executive Director, CCSI, Babafunke Fagbemi said Nigeria is still regarded as one of the countries with highest incident of poverty, unemployment is very high, noting that it is behind in almost all human capital development indexes.

Fagbemi who was represented by the Kaduna state team lead, CCSI, Mallam Ibrahim Abubakar said, the recent primary election in preparation for the 2023 general election has left so much disappointment across the country as there were allegations of bribery of delegates for vote, violence and intimidation.

He added that women participation in politics is not proportionate to the over 45% of the nation’s population which they represent, and this has not translated into equal representation in political leadership positions.

“Over the years, Women and Youth have been excluded from leadership and decision-making processes in Leaders. Therefore, there is a need for women and youth inclusion and participation. Women and Youth inclusion and participation mean equality in the representation  of Men, Women and Youth in both numbers and the levels of decision-making”.

He therefore added that for emerging democracy in Nigeria to be sustainable, all groups within the population must be actively involved in governance, saying  their voices need to be heard and their experience and expertise utilized for the optimal growth and development of the country.

Also speaking, Head of Programme, ActionAid Nigeria, Hajiya Suweiba Muhammed Dankwabi, said to participate full democracy in Nigeria, all groups must actively involve regardless of religion, tribe in governance process in other to uphold the tenants of democracy.

She also urged all political parties to create space for women, youth participation.

In her remarks, the Head of Unit, Voter Education, INEC Kaduna, Mrs. Rukaiyatu Sani Imam, thanked the organizers of the programme noting that it is timely and important, looking at 2023 general elections which is near.

Imam who sensitized the participants on the Continuous Voter Registration, said the INEC came up with new innovation that will make the 2023 general elections more acceptable in line with global best practice.

She said in 2015, the commission used  Smart Card Reader to identify and authenticate the Permanent voter’s cards(PVCs), the new innovation is the IVED machine, which means INEC Voter Enrollment Device(IVED) and is versatile.

“The first function: it is used for the Continuous Voter registration, it captures the facial and the biometric, initially we capture the two thumbprints, but now it captures the ten fingerprints when you go for registration; the second function is on the election day, we have software that is going to be inserted into the IVED machine, and the software is called the BIVAS, (Bimodal Voter accreditation System), this system authenticate all PVCs on election day, in essence of eliminating identity theft and multiple voting,

“And the same IVED machine will be used to transmit result sheet after election process and this is to eliminate result sheet snatching from aggrieved politicians, so we are going to transfer this result electronically”, she said.

She said Kaduna State has recorded a tremendous effort on the Online registration having the highest turnout in the Northern Nigeria and third highest on the physical capture, however said 37.4% of the registration is marked invalid due to multiple registration

She therefore suggested that there is need for continuous sensitization of citizens on the effect of double registration, while commending stakeholders such as traditional leaders, religious leader, women group, NGOs who have continued in their sensitization on the registration of Continuous Voter’s cards.