In a significant move planned to strengthen grassroot participation in the electoral process, HM Dr Felix Enene Otuwarikpo, Fnipr has pledged the full support of the Úpātá traditional institution.
The monarch assured a delegation of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) that the Palace would actively encourage wider participation, emphasizing that voter registration and active citizenship are fundamental to community development.
According to the Ñyê-ïshï Èlé Úpātá Lôwétü Lî Ny’údū Úpātá III of Úpātá Kingdom, voters registration exercise “is a collective responsibility. We will use our influence to support INEC’s sensitization drive and ensure our people understand the power of their vote”.
The Monarch, who hailed the appointment of Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan (SAN) as National INEC Chairman during the meeting on Monday as symbolic, highlighted the critical importance of inclusive civic engagement and issued an urgent call to action for all eligible voters in Úpātáland who are yet to register, to do so.
Earlier, Mrs Mary Mody, the Electoral Officer (EO) for Ahoada East Local Government Area who, led the INEC delegation, said their visit was to intensify campaign for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), and to leverage on the traditional institution’s influence to assist boost citizen enrollment.
She appealed that the Monarch should use his influential stool to mobilize his subjects to register and ensure their voices are represented at the polls, assuring that INEC is committed to making the exercise seamless and inclusive.
INEC advocacy visit to the Palace is a key part of a broader strategy to partner with traditional rulers across the country. The commission believes that such collaborations are essential to building trust, boosting voter registration numbers, and ultimately strengthen the integrity of the electoral process.