No fewer than 120 election observers are undergoing training for the forthcoming Enugu State Local Government (LG) Elections scheduled for Sept. 21, 2024.
The two-day training is sponsored by Actionaid Nigeria and supported by the South Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO), the Justice, Development, Peace and Caritas Commission (JDPC), Enugu and the Enugu State Government.
Head of Programmes, Actionaid Nigeria, Mr Celestine Odo, said on Monday in Enugu that the LG election remained important as it provides an opportunity for rural people to vote for their political leaders.
Odo stated that the polls also provide avenues for rural people to participate in government and make an impact in the running of their development affairs.
The head of programmes added it is also a means of holding their elective political representatives accountable.
“The two-day training will make participants better understand and appreciate how elections are conducted; actors and stakeholders involved, especially LG elections being organised in Enugu State.
“You are also trained as observers and what to look out for and collect data on during the fieldwork on the day of the election.
“We also have to collect data on the conduct and behaviour of security, ad hoc staff, the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), as well as other actors and stakeholders.
“You will also do situational and aggregate reporting during and after the election,” he said.
Odo urged the participants to pay attention during the training.
SSDO Head of Programmes, Mr Udochukwu Egwim, said that local government administration, which is headed by a chairman and councillors, is crucial to overall grassroots development.
Egwim noted that council administrations were responsible for basic services such as primary education, healthcare, and local infrastructure, among others.
According to him, LG elections often receive less attention and experience lower voter turnout than gubernatorial or presidential elections due to a lack of proper orientation and awareness of the rural people.
“I encourage you to put seriousness into the training and ensure that all learnt will be practiced during and after the council elections.
“All participants at this training and those that will go to the field on election day must follow the guidelines and work with the internet application to be downloaded in your mobile phones.”
It would be recalled that over two million eligible voters would vote in the 17 chairmanships and 260 political ward councillorship positions within the 17 council areas in Enugu State.
