Stakeholders call for aggressive voter mobilisation for 2023 elections
Story from Emmanuel OLOGUN, Abuja
Principal stakeholders of the two major political parties in the country have called for aggressive mobilisation, sensitisation and education of citizens to enable eligible voting-age Nigerians to obtain their permanent voters’ cards (PVC) as a major step to help reduce voter apathy in the 2023 general elections.
The stakeholders, who spoke in separate interviews to mark the 2022 Democracy Day celebration, blamed voter apathy in past elections in the country on the reluctance of eligible voters to register and obtain PVCs early enough for elections.
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Alhaji Hamidu Sarki Gaube (Talban), the Kuje Candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2022 Area Council Chairmanship elections described the level of political awareness among rural communities as very, very low and he called for increased education of the people on the rules of democracy.
While expressing dissatisfaction over the level of voter education in the country, Hamidu stated that even though the nation’s democracy has started stabilising, demand for monetization of support does not augur well for a healthy democracy and shows public reluctance to willingly participate in civic responsibilities.
He commended the major political parties for conducting rancour-free congresses, stressing that the success shows that the nation’s democracy has started maturing.
“I am happy with the congresses and conventions of the political parties which have just been concluded. The success shows that our democracy has started maturing.
“There is maturity now in the way Nigerians play politics. Give us some more years and we would compete favourably with advanced democracies like the United States of America even though they have practised their system for more than one hundred years,” he said.
Hamidu commended the efforts of the ruling APC in advancing democracy in the country, declaring that the change of Democracy Day from May 29 to June 12 was part of the process to reposition the system and make it inclusive.
On his part, the FCT Coordinator of Atiku Abubakar Campaign Organisation, Dr Danladi Etsu Zhin, also called for aggressive sensitisation of the electorate to enable the nation to harvest maximum votes during the general elections.
Danladi commended politicians for the progress made so far in the democratic space but called for an aggressive mobilisation of voters pointing out that many youths do not have voters’ cards leading to the extension of the deadline for registration.
The former Kuje chairman also called on the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to move into the field especially in remote villages to sensitise the people for the general elections.
“Sometimes I wonder what the NOA officials are doing sitting in their offices and receiving taxpayers’ money without working or doing what they are supposed to do such as mobilising and sensitising voters to come out and vote during elections,” he concluded.
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