The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Edo office, on Monday, called on young female voters to be more actively involved in the Sept. 21 governorship election in the state.

The state Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr Anugbum Onuoha, made the call in Benin at a one-day awareness creation for young female votes to actively participate in the election.

Mr Onuoha said that as ambassadors of the commission, they were critical stakeholders who should sensitise their peers, parents and acquittance to shun violence and not engage in vote buying or selling.

He also urged them to sensitise the electorate on the need to vote for a candidate that they thought could bring development to the state.

“All of you are young girls and my advice to you is that your conscience should always be alive. If you sell your votes, you sell your future.

“Let us have an election that we will call our own. An election that will emanate from the collective will of the people.

” Let us have an election that is free, and people will adjudge that the election was free and fair.

“Even though the losers will always complain, let the majority of the people say this election was free and fair, ” he said.

According to him, as you go to your various destinations, please be an ambassador of INEC and take this message to every nook and cranny of this state.

“That, this upcoming election, there should be no vote buying, and that nobody should use the money to buy people’s conscience, ” he added.

Mr Onuoha, however, assured that INEC would conduct the election in line with the mission and vision of its mandate to conduct free, fair and credible elections.

Earlier, Victoria Eta-Messi, director, gender relations, INEC said that statistics showed that more males voted in the 2023 general election than females.

She noted that young female voters were often marginalised in the political sphere due to restrictive laws, institutional barriers and discriminatory cultural practices.

According to her, this awareness campaign was part of the effort to ensure that they understood their rights and the power of their votes.

(NAN)