Voter
Renewed Hope Ambassadors (RHA), Lagos State, says it plans to begin door-to-door voter education across the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Mrs Atinuke Owolabi, Director of the Voter Education and Awareness Directorate, disclosed this at the directorate’s inaugural meeting in Lagos on Wednesday
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that RHA is a grassroots mobilisation and political movement supporting President Bola Tinubu’s 2027 re-election campaign.
Owolabi said the voter education initiative aimed to reduce avoidable ballot errors through effective awareness campaigns and practical demonstrations.
“We do not want to see avoidable ballot errors repeated. We want to help build an electorate that understands the process and is better prepared to participate,” she said.
She said the directorate would reach people where they live, work, trade and gather, including market traders, artisans, professionals, young people, first-time voters, women and persons with disabilities.
Owolabi said it would communicate in simple language, use practical examples and, where appropriate, engage residents in English, Yoruba, Nigerian Pidgin and other locally relevant languages.
She said the reported results of the 2023 Lagos elections underscored the importance of voter education.
She said the presidential election which held on Feb. 25, 2023, recorded 64,278 rejected votes, while the governorship election of March 18, 2023, recorded 17,953 rejected votes.
She, however, noted that rejected ballots could result from different factors and that the figures alone did not establish the causes.
Owolabi said the inaugural meeting marked the beginning of an assignment to take electoral information to communities across the state.
She said democracy was strengthened when citizens were better informed about the electoral process.
“It is not enough for people to possess their Permanent Voter Cards or know that an election is approaching. They must understand the electoral process, their rights and responsibilities,” she said.
She added that voters needed to understand official ballot-marking instructions and know how to identify misinformation.
“Our responsibility is to help prevent avoidable errors through practical education, clear explanations and effective community engagement,” she said.
Owolabi said the directorate would help eligible voters understand the voting process before election day and identify reliable sources of electoral information.
She said voter education was not simply about encouraging people to vote but also about helping them understand the process and participate confidently and responsibly.
The director said reaching communities across the state would require planning, resources, discipline and teamwork.
She urged members to contribute ideas, identify communities for engagement, collaborate and verify information before sharing it.
Owolabi encouraged the team to approach the assignment with determination, professionalism and accountability.
She said the directorate’s slogan was “My Vote, My Lagos”.
Also speaking, Mrs Olayinka Babalola, Deputy Director of the directorate, said its vision was to make electoral information accessible to residents across the state.
Babalola said the inaugural meeting was organised to establish the directorate’s priorities, responsibilities and implementation framework.
She said the directorate would organise a train-the-trainers workshop to equip volunteers across wards and local government areas with the knowledge and skills needed to educate their communities.
Babalola said it also planned voter education workshops to provide practical information on electoral procedures, voters’ rights and responsibilities, and peaceful participation.
She added that the directorate would organise a voter education roundtable on voter apathy to engage stakeholders on the reasons for low participation and identify practical ways to improve awareness.
In his remarks, Mr Tokunbo Ojeola, Secretary of the directorate, said it would organise a PBAT-KOH Elite Dialogue to discuss voter participation, electoral awareness and responsible civic engagement.
Ojeola said the PBAT-KOH Elite Dialogue would address voter apathy, electoral procedures, misinformation and other issues affecting public understanding.
He added that the directorate would use digital platforms to share verified electoral information and reach wider audiences.
(NAN).
