Mrs Ehiahuruike in white cap
Traders at the building materials market, Nnewi, Anambra State at the weekend played host to the officials of Social and Integral Development Center (SIDEC) in collaboration with the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room who engaged the traders in voter education.
Some of the building materials market traders
The programme targeted to sensitize the eligible voters ahead the November 8 governorship election in the State funded by FCDO was a huge success as the Executive Director of SIDEC, Mrs Ugochi Ehiahuruike with her team painstakingly tutored the traders on the dos and don’ts about the electoral process.
At the event which took place at the traders hall, Mrs Ehiahuruike told them that they should refrain from vote-buying or selling to ensure they vote according to the dictates of their conscience.
She made them understand that they would be better off to give their mandate to the right candidate, a person of their choice and to expect real democracy dividends thereafter other than mortgaging their conscience in exchange for cash.
The Executive Director also told them that they should give priority voting access to some categories of voters which include persons with disabilities, visibly pregnant women, nursing and breastfeeding mothers and the elderly.
She advised them to conduct themselves orderly at the polling booths, obey electoral rules and report any malpractice or violence to the appropriate authorities during voting.
Mrs Ehiahuruike said they should guard against having records of invalid votes which she said could occur when instructions were not followed as outlined on the ballot papers.
She explained that it would be counterproductive if they failed to exercise their voting right as their civic responsibility, adding that many voters stayed home on the voting day doing some other thing instead of going to the polling booths to cast their votes.
She revealed that there were about 2.8 million eligible voters in Anambra but only a handful most often decide to participate in voting. She advised the traders to participate actively to enable them elect the right candidate.
Chairman of the market, Mr Ntomchukwu Ekezie who was flanked by his vice, Mr Ikechukwu Ngonadi assured their visitors that they would not fail to come out en mass on the election day to exercise their civic responsibility.
But the traders pleaded that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should make sure their votes count.
