#Election2023: Voters’ Education in Nigeria: We Need To Do More – Usman Ayegba | GOVERNMEND
Nigeria has a long way to go in voter’s education and reorientation. This is a former two-term Governor of Abia State and current Chief Whip of the Nigerian Senate, Senator (Chief) Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu, showing the party he voted for in the on-going Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
Unfortunately, his finger-print has crossed the line of the box for his choice of party thereby rendering his vote INVALID or REJECTED (if INEC applies it’s rule).
On the meaning of REJECTED BALLOTS or what renders a ballot invalid, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Manual for Election Officials (2023, p. 66) has this to say:
“A ballot shall be rejected if:
i. The choice of the voter is not clear;
ii. The back of the ballot paper has not been stamped, signed and dated by the PO [Presiding Officer];
iii. The ballot is without any thumbprint of a Voter; and
iv. The ballot contains any writing or mark that identifies the Voter”.
From the above, Chief Kalu’s choice is not clear given that in voting, his choice is not clear (see from clockwise, the second attached picture of “Examples Of Rejected/invalid Ballots” as contained in the third picture of “INEC Manual for Election Officials”, 2023, p. 71).
If a former two-term governor and a serving Senator of the Federal Republic can make this type of mistake, what can we say of voters, especially those from the rural communities with little or no knowledge of when a ballot is REJECTED or rendered INVALID?
Source: Usman Ayigba
