‘Citizens Who Don’t Vote Lack Right To Complain About Governance’

Secretary to the Delta State Government, Dr Kingsley Emu, has said citizens who “fail to exercise their civic responsibility of voting forfeit the moral right to complain about governance outcomes.”

Emu said this yesterday at a sensitisation and advocacy engagement organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in collaboration with the Delta State government in Asaba.

According to him, the engagement was necessitated by declining civic participation and voter apathy.

He emphasised that while INEC’s primary responsibility is to conduct elections, citizen participation through voter registration is fundamental to good governance.

He urged stakeholders to energise their communities and encourage eligible residents to enrol.

Earlier, Governor Sheriff Oborevwori, expressed concern over the low turnout recorded during the first phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the state.

While urging stakeholders to intensify grassroots mobilisation ahead of the second phase commencing in January 2026, he described the registration figures from the first phase as far below expectations, noting that the over 76,000 registrants recorded did not reflect the population strength and democratic consciousness of the state.

Represented by his deputy, Sir Monday Onyeme, Oborevwori, stressed that voter registration remains the gateway to democratic participation and the foundation of a credible and inclusive electoral process.

Oborevwori called on traditional rulers, political party leaders, religious bodies, civil society organisations, youth and women groups, market associations, and the media to take ownership of the CVR campaign by driving awareness directly to communities.

He particularly appealed to youths and first-time voters to seize the opportunity to register, describing them as the future of democracy.

The governor reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to providing an enabling environment for INEC to effectively discharge its constitutional responsibilities and expressed optimism that the second phase of the exercise would record a significant improvement over the first.

In his presentation, the Delta State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Sir Etekamba Udoh Umoren, outlined the timeline of the first phase of the CVR, which commenced with online pre-registration in August 2025, followed by physical registration across local government offices and the display of the voters register for claims and objections, in line with the Electoral Act 2022.

He explained that the CVR accommodates first-time voters, those who missed earlier registrations, applicants seeking correction of personal details, replacement of lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), and those wishing to transfer their registration.

The REC announced that the second phase of the CVR would begin on January 5, 2026, stressing that voter registration is a civic duty and a cornerstone of democracy, not merely an administrative exercise.

He also cautioned against registration offences such as multiple registrations and providing false information, noting the legal penalties attached, while assuring of INEC’s commitment to neutrality, transparency, and peaceful conduct of the exercise.

The sensitisation programme which featured a roadwalk show, was attended by key stakeholders, including the Speaker of the Delta State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Emomotimi Guwor; his Deputy, Rt. Hon. Arthur Akpowowo; members of the State House of Assembly; Hon. Francis Waive, member representing Ughelli North, Ughelli South and Udu Federal Constituency; traditional rulers, market women, civil society organisations, community leaders, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), ALGON, and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), among others.