THE role of voter education in any electoral process cannot be underestimated. It is very important that voter education commences in order for election to be successful. Voter education is designed to ensure that voters are ready, willing, and able to participate in electoral politics. It assumed that this involves election literacy, educational campaign and confidence that the electoral process is appropriate and effective in selecting their representatives through the electoral process. It thus becomes imperative to state that voters have confidence in the electoral process when they are properly educated about the procedures.

Voter education aims to create a climate of knowledgeable participation by all potential voters in an election. It also seeks to enable potential voters to cast their votes with confidence and achieve stipulated objectives. These objectives may also be achieved through other programmes, and the campaign will want to establish address such issues as voter security, basic voting procedures, accessible voting stations, and lively but non violent political campaigns by candidates.

The Presidential election has been scheduled to take place in January and there is no single effort aimed at promoting voter education in the country. Voter education is essential to ensuring that voters can effectively exercise their voting rights and express their political will through the electoral process. If voters are not prepared or motivated to participate in the electoral process, questions may begin to arise about the legitimacy, representativeness, and responsiveness of elected leaders and the electoral body i.e. INEC in this case. Without voter education, Nigerians may not be sensitised about the elections as well as reposing their confidence in the electoral system.

Voter education is a very focused and deliberate undertaking. It is targeted at eligible voters and addresses specific electoral events as well as the general electoral process. INEC should see it as laudable endeavour to properly educate and enlighten Nigerians about the 2011 elections. It is the responsibility of INEC to organise a campaign aimed at voters education. Nigerians will be assisted to participate and understand the electoral process. The education campaign comes with desired messages through various media platforms to effectively educate and mobilise Nigerians to participate in the forthcoming election.

The issue of voter education becomes important the more with the resolve of President Goodluck Jonathan to conduct a credible election in next year. He has also approved the payment of the fund required by INEC to conduct the election. The question then becomes what is preventing INEC from embarking on voter education across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria?

There are basic issues to be addressed through voter education with regards to participating in an election. It also has do with the conduct of the election and what is expected of voters. Through voter education campaign, the needs of the different targets of the voters are addressed. In Nigeria where the larger percentage of voters fall within the age bracket of 18-40, there is the crucial need to educate these age brackets who are predominantly youths on proper conduct and acceptable behavior expected of them during the election. This is also linked with several violent activities during the election whereby youths are prone to unleash mayhem.

The timing of the voter education campaign has also become a serious issue. The election commences in January 2011 and there is no visible voter education campaign in place. The voter registration exercise will  soon commence and voters are yet to be properly educated about the election? This is a thought provoking question that only INEC can respond to.

It has become pertinent for INEC to urgently address the issue of voter education. INEC has all the resources to embark on the campaign that will help Nigerians have access to basic information on their voting rights.

Akintayo writes from Lagos.

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