Traditional rulers in Garki community of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alongside a grassroots mobilisation group, have intensified efforts to encourage eligible residents to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ahead of future elections.
The initiative is aimed at improving voter participation and ensuring that residents who are yet to obtain voter cards are able to complete their registration process with ease.
Secretary of the Garki Traditional Council, Dr Lazarus Nuhu Nyaholo, who represented the paramount ruler of Garki Chiefdom, His Royal Highness Sa’Peyi Alhaji (Dr.) Usman Nga Kup, said the exercise was designed to address access challenges faced by residents in obtaining voter registration.
Speaking during a mobilisation exercise in Garki Village, Abuja, Nyaholo said many residents in local communities often struggle to access registration centres due to distance and logistical constraints.
“The democratic process is the business of every citizen. It is a right every citizen should exercise, but some people may not have access or the opportunity to register during earlier exercises,” he said.
He noted that traditional rulers had been engaging district and village heads to create awareness and encourage broader participation in the exercise.
According to him, voter apathy in the FCT is sometimes influenced by migration patterns, as some residents return to their states of origin during elections.
Nyaholo said community leaders were working to ensure that more residents obtain voter cards, stressing that participation in elections strengthens citizens’ ability to demand accountability from leaders.
He also raised concerns over what he described as the marginalisation of indigenous residents of the FCT, calling for stronger representation structures to address their concerns.
On allegations of political bias, Nyaholo insisted the mobilisation exercise was strictly focused on civic participation.
“We mobilise people to exercise their franchise, not to vote for any particular person,” he said.
Also speaking, a representative of The Game Changer Group (TGCG), Temidayo Kingheart, said the organisation partnered with community leaders and electoral officials to bring voter registration closer to residents.
He said the group was focused on addressing challenges such as inconvenience and limited access to registration centres.
“One of the reasons some people do not register is inconvenience. We believe that if registration is brought closer to communities and business areas, more people will participate,” he said.
Kingheart added that the group plans to expand the initiative to other parts of the FCT, including Guzape, with a target of registering between 20,000 and 30,000 additional voters across participating communities.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is currently conducting Continuous Voter Registration across designated centres nationwide ahead of future elections.
