Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) have said that allowing democracy to fester at the grassroots is key to its survival in any country, urging Nigerians to pay heed to the conduct of credible elections at the local council level.

They stated that periodic conduct of elections at the local council with effective participation of young people should be encouraged to enhance democratic practice.

At the two-day training for 120 election observers drawn from the 17 local councils of Enugu State, the Head of Programmes, ActionAid Nigeria, Mr. Celestine Okwudili Odo, said appropriate attention should be paid to getting the election right at the local council level.

He stated that the training of young men and women, which was sponsored by ActionAid in partnership with the South-Saharan Social Development Organisation (SSDO) and Justice Development & Peace Initiative (JDPC), was part of their contribution to enthroning credible chairmen and councillors in Enugu State local council elections slated for Saturday, September 21, 2024.

The council elections, conducted by the Enugu State Independent Electoral Commission (ENSIEC), are expected to be held in the 17 local councils of the state, with a total of 16 political parties that have indicated interest in the exercise.

Odo disclosed that seven participants were drawn from each of the 17 local councils of the state for the all-important assignment. Odo, who warned the participants against arrogating to themselves the powers of party agents or electoral officers while in the field, insisted that their assignment should not go beyond that of domestic election observers.