2019 Polls: Don Urges INEC To Guard Against Voter Apathy

Dianabasi Effiong, Port Harcourt

A university don, Dr Williams Wodi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure that voters confidence remained intact ahead of the Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Wodi, an African affairs analyst at the university of Port Harcourt, told journalists in Port Harcourt that majority of voters who traveled for the botched presidential and national assembly polls of Feb. 16, may not afford the funds to do so again on Feb. 23.

“The postponed elections will inevitably lead to voter apathy. You do not postpone an election five hours to when polls should have opened.

To that extent, the people feel that their rights to choose candidates have been hindered,” he said.

He said that so many people raised funds to travel for the election only to be disappointed with the announcement that the election had been postponed.

“One thing is inevitable, some people will say that there is no need going anywhere after wasting time and money for the first trip,” he said.

Wodi urged INEC to reassure the people that the elections would not be postponed again and that their votes would count.

“The confidence of voters has been severely shaken by what has happened. The voters are sensing sabotage and it requires to work over time to win back voters confidence,” he said.