By Gbenga Sodeinde in Ado Ekiti
With political actions steadily gathering momentum forward of the 2027 common election, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and member of the President Bola Tinubu/APC 2027 Presidential Campaign Council, Engineer Atinuke Owolabi, has raised the alarm over the alarming charge of voter apathy in Aramoko-Ekiti, revealing that about 73 per cent of registered voters in the group didn’t take part in the 2023 presidential election.
Worried by the event, Owolabi has launched a group voter sensitisation marketing campaign geared toward reversing the development, boosting electoral participation and decreasing rejected votes earlier than the subsequent spherical of elections.
She spoke on the weekend throughout the PBAT-MOB Aramoko Community Engagement and voter training programme held in Aramoko, Ekiti Central Senatorial District, in help of the re-election of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Senate Leader, Senator Michael Opeyemi Bamidele.
The programme, themed “My Vote, My Voice,” was organised to teach residents on the significance of voting, promote higher participation in elections and enhance understanding of the electoral course of.
Presenting statistics from the 2023 presidential election, Owolabi stated Ekiti State recorded 988,923 registered voters, of whom 315,058 had been accredited, whereas 308,171 legitimate votes had been solid and 6,301 ballots had been rejected.
She disclosed that obtainable ward-level information for Aramoko I and Aramoko II indicated a mixed 17,426 registered voters, however solely 4,680 votes had been solid throughout the presidential election.
According to her, the figures confirmed that roughly 12,746 registered voters didn’t vote, representing about 73 per cent of the voters in the 2 wards.
Describing the statistics as a critical concern, Owolabi stated the marketing campaign was designed to awaken the civic consciousness of residents and be sure that Aramoko totally utilises its voting energy in future elections.
She careworn that voter training remained one of the best instruments for strengthening democracy, significantly in rural communities the place insufficient data usually discourages participation or results in invalid votes.
“I consider voter training is essential. If we can’t utterly eradicate rejected votes, we should always not less than cut back them considerably in Ekiti State, significantly in Aramoko, my group.
“We are right here to sensitise our individuals on the proper solution to vote. When they get to the polling models, they have to be sure that they vote accurately.
“President Bola Tinubu is our President, and he’s doing quite a bit for the nation. I additionally need Aramoko to learn extra from his administration.
“The President has awarded the highway venture from Elisha to Ado-Ekiti. That is one other necessary growth our individuals ought to find out about. Although the venture continues to be underneath building, I consider it will likely be accomplished.
“We have the inhabitants and we’ve got the voters. What is missing is ample data. Our individuals want to grasp the best solution to vote.
“Today, we’ve got unveiled a voter training handbook. Through this handbook, our individuals will study elections, establish their polling models and perceive methods to take part correctly in the electoral course of.
“The figures from the 2023 election should challenge all of us. Out of every 100 registered voters in Aramoko I and II, only about 27 voted, while 73 stayed away. We must change that narrative ahead of future elections,” she stated.
As half of the sensitisation train, organisers unveiled a Voter Education Handbook designed to teach residents on electoral procedures, polling unit identification and the right use of their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), with the objective of growing voter turnout and decreasing rejected ballots.
Meanwhile, the Regent of Aramoko-Ekiti, Princess Owolabi Adeyemi, counseled President Bola Tinubu and Senate Leader Michael Opeyemi Bamidele for his or her contributions to grassroots growth.
She, nonetheless, appealed to the Federal Government to urgently rehabilitate the deplorable highway community in Aramoko-Ekiti, saying improved infrastructure would ease transportation challenges, stimulate financial actions and enhance the dwelling circumstances of residents.
