A Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) known as ‘Brain Builders Youth Development Initiative (BBYDI) has charged all registered voters to turn up on the election days to exercise their franchise.
The director of the organization, Olasupo Abideen, gave the charge yesterday during a town hall meeting in Gombe.
He expressed dissatisfaction with the number of voters who turned out in the 2019 elections, saying less than 30 million people voted to decide the fate of the nation with a population of over 200 million citizens.
“What we had in the 2019 general elections was a sorry case. We had less than 30 million people going to vote to decide and determine who rules and governs us. We have the opportunity again now, we are appealing to you that it doesn’t just stop at getting your PVC, ensure that you go out to vote on the day of election. Vote base on competence, capacity and character.
“Ensure that your votes count and do not fight during election. That way, out of the 93 million voters that INEC declared, we can have the whole of the 93 million. Let’s do this, let Nigeria send signal that the whole of the 93 people who got PVCs are going to the ballot and cast their votes so that the result of the election will be wholesomely and generally inclusive and participatory,” he said.
According to him, the town hall meeting was meant to reduce voter apathy, encourage people to vote without fighting, adding that the participants who included youths and student leaders, women leaders, religious groups, security agents and lecturers were drawn from the six north eastern states of Gombe, Bauchi, Yobe, Borno, Adamawa and Taraba where the participants were expected to pass the message to the grassroots in their respective states.
In an interview, a participant from Taraba State, Queen Kunde who asserted that voter apathy was worrisome in the country opined that if the electorate were consistently sensitised before next month’s election, there would be significant improvement in the number of people that will come out to vote.
She promised that they would mobilise the youth and women to turn up massively on election days to contribute in bringing good leadership in the nation.