Kaduna State Government has urged local government chairmen, traditional and religious leaders, as well as the media to intensify efforts in mobilizing citizens for the ongoing voter registration exercise.
Commissioner for Information, Malam Ahmed Maiyaki, said Governor Uba Sani, as a democratic and inclusive leader, has directed pragmatic steps to ensure broader participation of eligible voters across the state.
Maiyaki made the call in his opening remarks at a stakeholders’ meeting convened to review challenges in the exercise and to chart strategies for improved turnout.
According to him, preliminary reports from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) show that Kaduna State and the Northwest are lagging behind in registration figures—a situation that has already attracted the attention of the Federal Government.
He noted that the meeting was deliberately expanded to include council chairmen, traditional rulers, religious leaders, and the media because of their strategic roles in mobilizing citizens across diverse demographics.
“The government is deeply concerned about ensuring stronger citizen engagement in this exercise. This is not about partisanship; it is about encouraging all segments of society—youth, women, the elderly, and every gender group—to participate actively in the democratic process,” Maiyaki said.
The commissioner commended council chairmen who had already launched sensitization campaigns in their localities, stressing that the meeting provided a platform for experience sharing and coordinated planning to achieve greater impact.
He explained that the engagement was structured in two phases: an opening session with the media to highlight objectives and build momentum, followed by a technical session with council chairmen to harmonize grassroots mobilization strategies.
Maiyaki also acknowledged the presence of the Kaduna Council Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), AbdulGafar Alabelewe, describing the media’s active involvement as critical to boosting voter awareness and turnout.
Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Vice Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria (ALGON), Kaduna State, Dauda Madaki, said council chairmen have resolved to approach the exercise like a World Cup tournament—encouraging healthy competition among LGAs, with the most outstanding to be recognized at the end.
Madaki emphasized ALGON’s commitment to collaborating with the Ministry of Information and Ministry of Youth to ensure the success of the campaign, noting that voter registration is vital not only for elections but also for access to other government interventions that rely on accurate data.
He, however, appealed to INEC to address logistical challenges, particularly the inadequate machines allocated to high-population LGAs like Chikun, Igabi, Zangon Kataf, and Sabon Gari. “Two machines per LGA are clearly insufficient. We are calling for at least 10 in such areas to ensure no eligible voter is left behind,” he said.
Madaki commended the resilience of council chairmen who are making the most of limited resources and urged them to sustain the momentum until every eligible citizen is registered.
COV: Adamu Yusuf
