Author: philip
A few days before the 2023 general elections, a Non-Governmental Organization, Centre for Transparency Advocacy, CTA has called on Nigerians to judiciously put to use their Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs which bestowed on them the power to hire or fire their elected officers.
The Centre’s Executive Director, Faith Nwadishi made the call during the North-West stakeholder’s meeting in Kano in preparation for the forthcoming elections.
Nwadishi warned the electorates against selling their PVCs noting that such action would only amounts to disenfranchising themselves as it won’t yield a fruitful outcome.
She further called on the electorates to shun money politics and any other forms of inducement to influence their choice of candidates.
There are reports that politicians are buying off PVC cards from citizens or asking citizens to give out their card numbers. This is condemnable and uncalled for; security agencies must investigate this and ensure that those found wanting are apprehended.
“As citizens, we must realize that The PVC is our pride and decision making power, let us hold it firmly. It is a power to hire and fire.
“It has become imperative to say no to money politics, all forms of inducement and money laundering associated with our politics and elections. Citizens’ choices must never be subverted by the negative use of money to influence votes including the criminal purchases of PVCs by politicians. We recognize clearly that the symbolic presence of law enforcement agents at polling units on election has not deterred vote buying.
It is, therefore, important that a more result-oriented method like covert operations be adopted to curb this menace. An early warning flagging by the Central bank and Commercial institutions will as well alert anti-graft agencies to track illicit money intended to usurp the wills of the people through rigging of elections induced by money,” the Centre’s Executive Director, Nwadishi noted.
Earlier, in his remarks, the Kano State Coordinator of the centre, Dr. Mohammed Mustapha said the sensitization was part of the corporate responsibility by the centre aimed at achieving successful electioneering.
Dr. Mustapha who doubles as the Executive Director, Dispute Resolution and Development Initiative formally known as Democratic Action Group, DAG, said the meeting would fine-tune modalities of having a dialogue between all stakeholders more networks would be coordinated to observe the forthcoming elections.
