By Joy Odor
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ondo State has conducted a two-day workshop for senior staff for effective communication in the electoral process in preparation for the 2024 governorship election.
The workshop is designed to improve the communication skills of participants to ensure they can engage effectively with voters, political parties, and other stakeholders with both empathy and professionalism.
The training facilitated by the International Press Centre (IPC) with the support of the European Union (EU) and DAI have the Theme: “Effective Communication in the Electoral Process: Communicating with Empathy and Expertise.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ondo State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola in her welcome address informed that effective communication is fundamental to the electoral process, playing a key role in promoting transparency, building trust, and fostering a more inclusive election.
According to her, as election managers, there is a need to understand the essence of clear, accurate, and empathic communication to foster effective communication strategies to minimize misinformation and disinformation and address the electoral concerns of voters and the public.
She emphasized the workshop’s critical goal in ensuring the success of the upcoming Governorship Election in Ondo State and urged the INEC staff to understand the audience, and manage elections, conflict, and perceptions.
The REC charged the staff to actively engage in the workshop to acquire the necessary skills for connecting with the diverse perspectives and emotions of various voter groups.
Oluwatoyin opined that communication with stakeholders goes beyond simply delivering information; it involves actively listening, engaging thoughtfully, and responding with care to the concerns of all voters, especially marginalized groups such as persons with disabilities, women, and youth.
In his speech, the Executive Director of IPC, Comrade Lanre Arogundade, highlighted the critical role the media and communication professionals play in the democratic process.
He emphasized that the training will strengthen the capacity of INEC officials to relay electoral information efficiently and to interact with the media transparently and professionally.
