Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and chairman, Information and Publicity Committee made the appeal on Monday, during a sensitisation forum for the media in Ado-Ekiti.
He sad all hands must be on deck to ensure that the electorate fully understands the new voting procedures.
Represented by Prof Abdulganiyu Raji, Ekiti State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Okoye noted that last week, the commission commenced series of meetings and interfaces with critical stakeholders like political parties, security agencies, traditional and religious leaders.
Okoye reiterated INEC’s resolve to use Smart Card Readers for the 2019 General Elections for accreditation of voters.
According to him, the function of the Smart Card Reader during accreditation is to confirm, verify and authenticate the voter as well as confirm that the PVC is genuine and issued by INEC.
The National Commissioner however said the issue of vote buying remains worrisome but “reassure Nigerians that we are aware of the new tricks, it is a futile effort.
Earlier in his welcome address, Ekiti State REC, Prof Abdulganyu Raji, said the forum was organized as an avenue for interaction with the media.
He said the commission would welcome criticisms and observations from the media while appealing for understanding and accurate reportage of the activities of INEC.
The one-day interactive forum saw presentations of papers on: Basic Facts on Elections, Operational Procedures and Legal Framework.
Participants were News Managers and Controllers of Programmes of Television Stations in the South as well as some Online Publishers.
