The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed its preparedness to consolidate and improve on the nation's electoral system until it becomes the best in Africa.

Kwara State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Chief Timothy Ibitoye, said this on yesterday at the Voter Education held at the Queen Elizabeth School, Ilorin, for Secondary School Principals, to check voter apathy in the state.

He said the workshop with the theme: "Catch them Young for Democratic Governance" was part of INEC's efforts to ensure efficiency and productivity in election management through voter education.

"It is a very important step to entrench in the minds of the youth in the state, an enduring democratic culture and civic responsibility rather than becoming ready-made instruments in the hands of politicians".

Ibitoye said the voter education for the school pupils would go a long way to ensure that youths were not engaged as thugs and vanguards during electoral activities, particularly elections.

"This programme is also to check voter apathy, imbibe the democratic values in the minds of children so as to avoid the violence which has characterized the political system.

"It is to establish a good relationship with INEC and school authority as partners in Nigeria's democratisation process and eventually build a generation of future ad hoc staff to manage our electoral process.

“ Our democratic sojourns in the past 13 years have proved that there are absolute necessities to constantly undergo an in-depth voter education and public enlightenment on the electoral process."

Ibitoye said that the commission was fully prepared to keep the teeming stakeholders alert and well informed in the performance of their electoral responsibilities.

In a goodwill message, Alhaji Mohammed Atolagbe, the State Commissioner for Education and Human Capital Development, lauded INEC for taking the appropriate step to strengthen the nation's electoral process.

He assured INEC of the cooperation of the ministry in its bid to build a virile democratic culture and educate the youth on their responsibilities.

Earlier, the host Principal, Hajia Munirat Ayinla, said that the programme was timely because it had been expected for long.

She assured the Commission that the Voter Education Club, inaugurated in the school, would be monitored to achieve the desired goal and objective