By Ibrahim Hassan-Wuyo, Kaduna

Governor Uba Sani of Kaduna State has moved to energize the ongoing voter registration exercise in the state following reports of low turnout across local government areas.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Kaduna, the Commissioner for Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, said the Governor had directed pragmatic measures to mobilize eligible voters, stressing that participation in the process was a civic responsibility, not partisanship.

According to him, preliminary figures from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) revealed that Kaduna and the entire Northwest were lagging behind in registration—a development that has already drawn the attention of the Federal Government.

“The government is deeply concerned about ensuring stronger citizen engagement in this exercise. It is about encouraging youth, women, the elderly, and all groups to register and participate,” Maiyaki said.

He explained that the meeting was deliberately convened to bring together council chairmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders and the media because of their strategic roles in grassroots mobilization. He also commended council bosses who had already launched awareness campaigns in their localities.

Vice Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON) in Kaduna State, Hon. Dauda Madaki, said council chairmen would approach the campaign “like a World Cup tournament,” creating healthy competition among councils with recognition for the most outstanding at the end of the exercise.

Madaki, however, urged INEC to address the shortage of registration machines, noting that highly populated LGAs such as Chikun, Igabi, Zangon Kataf and Sabon Gari were struggling with just two machines each.

“We are calling on INEC to urgently provide at least 10 machines for the big LGAs to ensure that no one is left behind. Our people are willing to register; what they need is the opportunity,” he said.

He assured that local government leaders would work closely with the Ministry of Information and the Ministry of Youth to expand sensitization, describing voter registration as crucial not only for elections but also for government interventions that rely on accurate data.