By Seyi Odewale
The Cross River State Government has launched a fresh voter mobilisation campaign targeting students and young people amid concerns over low voter registration and weak participation in the electoral process across the state.
The initiative, driven in partnership with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and tertiary institutions in the state, was unveiled during a strategic meeting at the Governor’s Office in Calabar.
Representing Governor Bassey Otu, the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Anthony Owan-Enoh, admitted that voter registration figures in Cross River remained far below expectations despite the state’s population and electoral potential.
“This is not about APC, PDP, or any political party. It is about development and the collective will of our people,” he said.
“We must encourage more citizens, especially young people, to take ownership of the democratic process by registering and participating in elections.”
The state government said the partnership would focus on mobilising students across tertiary institutions to participate in voter registration exercises and deepen civic engagement among young people.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Cross River, Prof. Gabriel Yomere, expressed concern over what he described as persistently low voter registration and poor electoral participation among students and university communities.
“Our concern generally is that the voting strength in our communities remains very low,” Yomere said.
“Increasing voter registration is important not only politically but also for the overall development of our society.”
He stressed that INEC would intensify collaboration with educational institutions and other stakeholders to ensure that eligible students were captured in the voter register ahead of future elections.
Representing tertiary institutions in the state, the Deputy Vice Chancellor (Administration) of the University of Cross River State, Prof Thomas Ojikpong, pledged the universities’ support for the initiative.
According to him, sustained advocacy and voter enlightenment campaigns would encourage greater participation among students.
The meeting also explored ways to leverage collaboration between INEC and NIMC to simplify access to voter registration and identity management services on campuses and in university communities across the state.
