By Ariwodo praise izuchukwu
A former national president of the Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria, Reverend Felix Omobude, on Thursday, urged the people of Edo State, particularly Christians, to vote in the upcoming election, emphasising that the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC tallies votes, not prayers.
He encouraged the electorate to use their Permanent Voter’s Cards to actively participate in the democratic process and elect the leader of their choice in the September 21 governorship election.
Omobude called on the people of Edo to vote for a credible candidate, highlighting that democracy provides the opportunity for citizens to choose their leaders and that such an opportunity is now at their doorstep.
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He urged them to demonstrate to the world that the people of Edo are knowledgeable and politically enlightened, advising them not to succumb to political intimidation from any godfathers.
The former PFN president also advised voters to scrutinise the track records of the candidates and cast their votes based on merit and credibility, while praying for peace before, during, and after the election.
Meanwhile, The European Union Support for Democratic Governance in Nigeria and the International Press Centre have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to build citizens’ trust in the electoral process through transparency as well as timely and accurate communication.
The EUSDGN and IPC spoke at Ikogosi Ekiti, Ekiti State on Saturday at a two-day workshop on “Effective communication in electoral process: Communicating with empathy and expertise,” organised for staff of Ondo State INEC preparatory to the November 16, 2024 governorship election in the state.
The workshop, a component of EUSDGN, was organised by IPC in partnership with DAI and Centre for Media Society, with the goal of enhancing the electoral process in Nigeria.
The Executive Director of IPC, Lanre Arogundade, who spoke on behalf of the organisers, said that citizens’ trust in the election management body was a necessary condition for polls to be acceptable, saying such could be achieved by INEC through “conveying messages that are accurate, timely and accessible”.
