The Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) has called on eligible voters to change their attitude toward elections.
The LASEIC Electoral Commissioner, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, made the call during the tour of some polling units at Agege Local Government Area, Ward F runoff councillorship election on Saturday.
Addressing journalists, Mr Omoseyindemi said all eligible voters that refused to vote in elections did not have moral rights to complain over those governing them.
According to him, the people need to change their orientation about elections.
He noted that the turnout during the runoff was low, though the exercise was peaceful.
“What is important is that citizens must wake up and take the responsibility. It is their civic duty to come out and vote.
“In some other countries, you cannot get any government facility if you don’t vote, maybe we should start doing that because it is the responsibility of the people to come out and vote.
“You can’t complain about who is governing your local government if you don’t come out and vote,” the commissioner said.
He, however, said that the commission would embark on more voter education.
“We need to change the orientation of our people so that they can know their civic responsibility,” he added.
Mr Omoseyindemi commended the security operatives for protecting the voters, electoral officers and materials.
Similarly, Samson Ajibade, Permanent Secretary, LASIEC, said good governance and people-oriented programmes by the political class would attract people to participate more in politics.
Mr Ajibade said that more voter education was needed to tackle voter apathy in elections.
“Whoever is in government should ensure performance.
“If you don’t decide who governs you, fools will get there and win elections and govern you.
“We need political education and voter enlightenment more,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the runoff was necessitated by the tie between candidates of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the July 24 council election.
Aransiola Yusuf of the APC was declared winner of the Agege Ward F councillorship runoff election, with 1,163 votes.
He defeated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Sakiru Akinwande, who scored 748 votes.
(NAN)
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