By Ahmadu Amaka
The National Orientation Agency in Nasarawa State has flagged off campaign against voting buying and selling which is aimed at sensitizing the masses towards achieving a free, fair and credible election in the 2019 general election.
Speaking during the flag off ceremony in Lafia, the permanent secretary, Ministry of Higher Education in Nasarawa state, Mr. Ishaku Danladi Abari said that the permanent voter’s card (PVC) is a strong weapon in the hand of the electorate who have the capacity to vote candidates of their choice. He noted that vote selling or buying is a criminal act that is capable of denying them their rights and integrity, adding that it negates the tenets of democracy.
According to him, “Your PVC is your weapon, is your right and defense; the moment one sells his or her voter’s card, he has automatically sold the future of his family, his people for the four years the politician will spend in the office and whatever he does you cannot question his action any longer because you have sold your conscience to him”.
Abari lamented that most politicians after being elected by the electorate abandon the masses without providing them with the dividends of democracy. He added that politicians are supposed to be servants, not masters. “We elected them into office to serve us and not to be our masters, we are to dictate for them not them dictating for us”, he said.
Also in his goodwill message Dr. Shehu Chinado Yamusa III Emir of keffi said that voter’s education is a crusade against vote selling and vote buying in Nigeria which cannot be over emphasized the intention being to reawaken moral rectitude so as to strength Nigeria’s democracy.
He therefore warned Nigerian youths not to allow themselves to be used as political brooms, bootlickers or thugs by some desperate politicians, but should collectively support the war against vote selling and vote buying.
He called on all the agencies in government, security agents, the media, traditional rulers and INEC officials, to join hands in the war against this epidemic that is eating our society. He urged the political class to use the privilege given to them wisely so as not to create any unnecessary tension that could lead to negative consequences all because of their parochial electoral ambition
In his paper presentation tittled, “Critical voters information for 2019 general election and implication or vote buying and vote selling” Acting Registrar, Nasarawa State Polytechnic Lafia, Muktar Wakeel, noted that vote buying means “selling your birthright or franchise on the day of election in a polling unit against your intention or conscience to mortgage your future for peanuts”. He explained that vote buying is a criminal act, “if you sell your vote it means you have sold a piece of yourself, you have sold your own integrity, you have sold your own independence and influence others”.
He stated that electoral democracy has been characterized by failure in Nigeria, “rigging has become our electoral culture”, noting that since 1999 when the current democratic journey began in Nigeria, election have always been characterized by irregularities such as violence, rigging, ballot box snatching, thuggery, forgery, thumb printing and manipulation of voters’ register and others.
He further queried, “In the situation like this who is to be blame for this growing menace that seems to have eaten deep into the electoral system”? Some blame their decision on the economic situation which they say is not stable.
In his key note address the director general of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr. Garba Abari said that the essence of the flag off campaign against vote buying and vote selling is to achieve a free, fair and credible election. According to him with just few days to the general election political campaigns and awareness is increasing with different expectation by the public.
He explained further that Nigerian politicians were used to sharing of rice, salt, wrappers and other items on the eve of the election to induce voters to vote in favour of their particular candidates.
He lamented that the incidence of vote buying and vote selling has assumed an alarming dimension such that it has become one of the greatest threats to the electoral process which is capable of truncating our democracy. He further stated that the voters need to be aware that their votes are priceless “hence selling it for N5,000 or N50,000 is a great loss”.
In her welcome address, the Nasarawa State director of the National Orientation Agency Mrs. Priscilla Gondoaluor explained that the aim of the flag off is to bring together all the stakeholders – traditional rulers, political parties, electorates, security agents and media – to enlighten them on the dangers of vote buying and selling in the state and Nigeria at large.
She cautioned the electorate against being used by politicians who have nothing good to offer to the masses, adding that the flag off was to sensitize them to know the value attached to the voter’s card which enables them to decide who they wish to vote for.
She urged the electorate to protect their voters’ cards which is a gateway to the dividends of democracy and also their right.