Preliminary Statement of ActionAid Nigeria on the Enugu State Local Government Election Scheduled for 21st September 2024
Press Statement
Issued in Enugu state on Friday 20th September 2024 - As Enugu State prepares for its Local Government Area (LGA) elections, ActionAid Nigeria, in partnership with the South Saharan Development Organisation (SSDO) and the Justice Development and Peace Commission (JDPC), calls for active and peaceful participation in the democratic process. ActionAid Nigeria is dedicated to empowering citizens, promoting social justice, and gender equality and has established a Technical Room to provide firsthand information to the media.
Local governance is the foundation of grassroots decision-making and essential service delivery. The upcoming elections in Enugu provide citizens the opportunity to directly influence the leadership responsible for their day-to-day governance. At the heart of ActionAid Nigeria’s mission is the strengthening of local governance as a critical element in improving citizens’ lives. Ahead of the elections, ActionAid Nigeria trained 120 election observers, who will be deployed across Enugu’s 17 LGAs and 260 wards to ensure free, fair, and credible elections. This initiative highlights the organization’s commitment to reinforcing the democratic process at the grassroots level.
Key Observations and Challenges
During a stakeholder consultative meeting held on Wednesday, 18th September 2024, ActionAid Nigeria and its partners identified key observations/issues that have historically undermined free and fair elections in Enugu. These include:
- Low voter turnout and apathy
- Distrust in the electoral process
- Low political participation among women and youth
- Vote-buying and merchandising
These issues have collectively weakened local governance, eroded public confidence in democracy, and left citizens feeling disengaged from the electoral process. As a historic step forward, political parties in Enugu for the first time signed a peace accord, committing to peaceful and credible elections.
Call to action
In response to these issues, ActionAid Nigeria:
- Commends the political parties for signing a Peace Accord for the first time in the history of LGA elections in the state. Urging all political actors to adhere to the principles of free, fair, and credible elections throughout the voting process.
- Encourages the citizens and residents of Enugu State to actively participate in tomorrow’s elections. Voting is a critical way to make your voice heard, and we urge everyone to peacefully cast their votes for the candidates of their choice.
- Appreciates the commitment of the Enugu State Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to ensuring peace and security during the elections. Urging them to remain steadfast in delivering on their promises to maintain order and respond swiftly to any incidents.
ActionAid’s Role in Election Observation
ActionAid Nigeria has established a fully operational technical room for the real-time collation and analysis of data from the 120 trained observers stationed across the state. This room will facilitate rapid responses to critical incidents, ensuring timely escalation to relevant authorities for intervention. We are also observing the distribution of electoral materials from the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC) to the various LGAs. ENSIEC has assured us that elections will be conducted according to the guidelines set by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), although the BVAS technology will not be deployed due to budgetary constraints.
In conclusion, ActionAid Nigeria remains committed to promoting local government autonomy as we believe that empowered local governments are the key to addressing poverty and inequality at the grassroots level. We call on all stakeholders to work together to ensure that the 2024 Enugu and Kwara LGA elections, and the Edo state Election as well are peaceful, transparent, and credible.
Signed: Andrew Mamedu,
Country Director, ActionAid Nigeria
Editors' notes
ActionAid Nigeria is a national non-governmental, non-partisan, non-religious, civil society organisation, and an affiliate member of the ActionAid International Federation with presence in 45 countries. It works in solidarity with people living in poverty and exclusion to achieve social justice, gender equality, and poverty eradication toward achieving a just, equitable, and sustainable world in which every person enjoys the right to a life of dignity, freedom from poverty, and all forms of oppression.
CONTACT: Oluwakemi Akinremi-Segun - Communications Coordinator | ActionAid Nigeria Tel: +234(0)8092076904 | Email: Oluwakemi.AkinremiSe@actionaid.org | Info.nigeria@actionaid.org | Website: nigeria.actionaid.org| Facebook: ActionAid Nigeria Twitter: @ActionAidNG