INEC's Haruna Surprised by Blame for Low Voter Turnout

Muhammed Haruna, a National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), expressed his surprise regarding the blame placed on INEC for the low voter turnout in the recently concluded FCT area council elections. In an interview with Trust TV, Haruna responded to concerns about the turnout, which has been criticized across the nation’s capital.

He stated that attributing the blame solely to INEC is misdirected, as the commission's primary role involves civic education and informing citizens about the voting process. Haruna highlighted that while INEC encourages voter participation, political parties, which have extensive memberships, also bear responsibility for mobilizing voters.

He noted that these parties often have hundreds of thousands to millions of members and should actively work to encourage turnout. Haruna's remarks came following the elections, where the turnout was notably low, raising questions about the effectiveness of voter mobilization efforts.