By Igbawase Ukumba
The European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) yesterday trained Persons With Disabilities (PWDs), women and youths to enable them participate in the October 6, 2021, Nasarawa State local government election.
This was just as the ECES had last Monday trained management staff of the Nasarawa State Independent Electoral Commission (NASIEC) and media professionals on their respective roles during the forthcoming council polls.
The Project Coordinator of the European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Mr. Hamza Fassi-Fihri, in his opening address, insisted that the society has to invest efforts to ensure that those citizens have equal access to voting rights, and help to make this right effective.
According to the project coordinator, “The youths represent 60 percent of the country’s population, while the women account for more than 50 percent and the PWDs represent more than 10 percent. This represents an important pillar of the nation, and their voices have to be heard.
“We are happy to partner NASIEC on this event ahead of local government elections given the importance of local elections and the role of local democracy which allows citizens to have a direct access to elected officials close to their homes.”
In his welcome address, the NASIEC Chairman, Ayuba Wandai Usman, expressed the hope that the training would provide these categories of persons the required better experience to mobilise their members for the October 6, 2021, council elections.
He said: “NASIEC thanks ECES for accepting to organise this training and for also bearing all the costs. In fact, NASIEC success story on October 6, 2021, can never be complete if reference is not made to ECES.”
