By Okey Ndiribe
ABUJA—The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Attahiru Jega, has urged political parties in the country to embark on voter education as part of their contribution to ensure a successful voters’ registration.

Prof Jega  also  commended  Senator Ubanesse Igbeke, who  represents  Anambra North senatorial district, for the unique challenge he had taken to embark on massive sensitization of the electorate in his zone to participate fully in the forthcoming voter registration.

Speaking on behalf of Prof  Jega  to reporters in his office in Abuja, the INEC boss’ spokesman,  Mr. Kayode Idowu, said Senator Igbeke’s sensitization drive was in line with the chairman’s challenge to all stakeholders to join in playing significant roles in the electoral process, as INEC could not do it alone.

“If you attended any of our recent all-political parties summits, you would recall that the Chairman, Prof Attahiru Jega, specifically challenged the political parties and all stakeholders to join us in playing active roles in the entire electoral process, including sensitizing the public to come out en-mass and participate in both the registration and voting proper, because it is in the interest of everyone  of us, be it the politician, political party or the electorate,” he noted.

Although INEC is not engaging individual politicians and political parties in its functional mechanisms, he saw Senator Igbeke’s initiative as more of a patriotic determination to lighten the commission’s burden, especially in his senatorial district.

Jega’s aide said such a gesture was very positive, and most welcome, enjoining other stakeholders to emulate  the gesture.

Senator Igbeke, in line with INEC’s plea to stakeholders to join forces with it to ensure that voters  were adequately sensitized and educated on their civic responsibility in the coming general election, had flooded the entire Anambra North senatorial zone with posters entreating them on the need to be registered.

Speaking on the progress so far made in voters’ education, as the commission’s voter registration fast approaches, he said a tremendous in-road had been built since the official flag-off of the programme.