The Social and Integral Development Centre (SIDEC) has called for fair access to voting for vulnerable groups and emphasized the importance of inclusivity in the electoral process.

Key Points:

• Target Groups: Priority voting should be given to persons with disabilities (PWDs), elderly citizens, visibly pregnant women, and nursing mothers.
• Core Message: Democracy must represent all voices, not only the strong or wealthy. Election day should be fair, humane, and free of intimidation.
• Caution Against Vote Buying:
  • SIDEC Project Officer Bruno Chimnaecherem warned that selling votes undermines secrecy and future community development.
  • Both vote buyers and sellers are criminalized under the Electoral Act.
• Call Against Election Violence: Citizens were urged to avoid violence and manipulation, stressing that elections are not a do-or-die affair.
• Civic Awareness Initiative:
  • Part of the Inclusive Mobilisation for Participation, Advocacy and Civic Transformation (Project IMPACT).
  • Implemented with support from the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (UK-FCDO).

Overall Message: SIDEC is promoting a transparent, inclusive, and peaceful electoral process, ensuring that vulnerable groups are protected and all voters exercise their rights responsibly.