On the 8th of November, 2018, partner organisations of the Situation Room met with INEC to devise methods to be employed to sensitise voters ahead of the 2019 general elections. This is with a view to increasing the level of voter turnout, which was at 40% during the last general elections.
The INEC Director on Voter Education, and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze Uzzi speaking at the meeting, stated the importance of engaging a variety of means to reach out to citizens, especially in rural areas, which are not permeated by social media. He emphasized the need to drive advocacy using content that addresses relevant issues. He revealed that the INEC manuals and guidelines are undergoing review and the Electoral Act (Amendment) Bill, which has just been transmitted to the President for assent stands as an impediment to the progress of the Commission’s operations, as some decisions are hinged on the bill becoming law.
Situation Room is looking to employ decentralized modes of information dissemination that are demography specific, to ensure that civic and voter education cut across board and no group is left out of the exercise.