Despite initial predictions that women would avoid coming out to vote on the November sixth gubernatorial election in Anambra State, the Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre says female voters braced the odds to turn out on the election day to cast their votes.
The Centre had in an pre-election day study predicted a more than ninety-four percent female voter apathy on election day due to fear of violence and recorded gunmen attacks in parts of the State.
Correspondent, David Okpokwasili reports that the Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre revealed the change in the statistics at a joint press briefing in Awka.
The joint press briefing was organized by the Centre and the Catch Them Young Community Initiative, to publish the outcome of their field works as regards the Stop Violence Against Women in Politics,’’ ‘‘STOP-VAWIP,’’ and the ‘‘Vote Not Fight’’ campaigns targeted at reducing the incidence of violence in the electoral system of Nigeria.
Reading out the research findings, the Executive Director of the Gender Perspective and Social Development Centre, Ms Eucharia Anaekwe said pre-election findings had shown that a great number of women in Anambra were afraid of coming out to vote on election day due to reported killings and happenings in the State before the election, but figures from the Centre’s one hundred and five community mobilization officers; who acted as citizen observers on election day showed an increase in the turnout of female voters on election day.
Ms Anaekwe who said the increase in the outcome could be attributed to the STOP- Violence Against Women in Politics and ‘‘Nwanyị Bụ ife’’ campaigns of the Centre, also commended the efforts of all election stakeholders, including security personnel, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, and other civil society organizations for ensuring an inclusive, participatory and secured gubernatorial election in Anambra state.
On his part, the Executive Director of the Catch Them Young Community Initiative, Mr Nonso Orakwe described the Anambra gubernatorial election as very peaceful as against fears held before the exercise and commended the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, by INEC as helping to increase credibility of the election.
Mr. Orakwe, who is also the Convener of ‘‘Vote Not Fight’’ campaign in Anambra state applauded all the gubernatorial candidates in the election who have congratulated the Governor-Elect, Professor Chukwuma Soludo, saying it speaks of a healthy spirit of sportsmanship among the candidates, and helped to forestall any post-election crisis and entrench the needed peace in the State.
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