Tunde Omolehin Sokoto
As the 2019 general elections draw nearer, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sokoto State has said no fewer than 140,000 voters’ cards are yet to be claimed by the electorate in the state.
INEC’s Head, Voter Education and Publicity, Alhaji Muhammad Musa, disclosed this in Sokoto, at the weekend, during a one-day workshop organised for media professionals in the state.
The event organised by the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Sokoto State council was also used to launch a book Election Coverage: A Journalists Guide.
Mohammed said the cards were for prospective voters who registered in the just-concluded continuous-voters rgistration exercise in the state.
The INEC spokesman disclosed that the unclaimed voters’ cards were available in designated INEC offices for collection.
READ ALSO: Gunmen kidnap PDP chieftain in Kebbi
He, however, called on owners of the cards to pick them up to enable them exercise their civic responsibility during the forthcoming general elections.
Speaking earlier, the NUJ state Chairman, Mr Isah Abubakar Shuni, said the workshop was aimed at sensitising and improving the capacity of journalists in election coverage.
Shuni explained that the book would not only benefit the media professionals but other stakeholders such as security agencies, civil society organisations and election observers.
In his speech, the state deputy governor who represented Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, urged journalists to always adhere and conform to certain ethical standards.
“Through quality media practice, people get the facts and information they can trust. That is why for the media to function and benefit people positively, it must adhere and conform to certain ethical standards.”