National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Muhammed Haruna, has expressed surprise that the Commission is being blamed for the low voter turnout in last Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Councils polls.
Haruna stated this on Monday while appearing on an interview programme on Trust TV.
He was reacting to the FCT Area Council election, which witnessed low voter turnout across the nation’s capital.
He said, “While voter turnout is a critical concern, attributing blame solely to INEC is misdirected. INEC’s primary role is civic education, informing citizens on how to vote.
“I’m surprised that INEC is blamed for low turnout. Although we encourage participation, the responsibility for mobilizing voters ultimately rests with political parties.
“These parties possess extensive memberships, often numbering in the hundreds of thousands or even millions. Our mandate prohibits us from endorsing specific candidates or parties.
“We are, however, committed to our part in encouraging turnout, as exemplified by the recent election, where we undertook comprehensive efforts.”
