Kogi poll: REC urges youths to use their numerical strength for positive change

Thu, Oct 17, 2019
By publisher
3 MIN READ

Politics

THE Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Kogi, Prof. James Apam, has charged youths to use their numerical strength to make a positive change during the Nov. 16 governorship election in the state.

Apam made the charge on Thursday in Lokoja while speaking at a voters’ education and sensitisation forum for youths on violence-free governorship election.

He said that the election was about the future of the youths in the state since they constituted the bulk of voters.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 893,087 youths of between 18 and 35 years were among 1, 485, 828 voters in the state that have collected their permanent voters’ cards to vote during the Nov. 16 governorship election.

The figure represents 54.25 per cent of the total 1,646,350 registered voters in the state as at August.

Apam, however, advised them to use their numerical strength to change the narrative of election in the state by ensuring peace before, during and after the election.

“Violence remains the big issue in election in Kogi State, you can change this by turning a new leaf beginning with the governorship election on Nov. 16,’’ he told the youths.

According to the REC, the commission is ready to conduct a free, fair, credible and conclusive election.

He, however, urged the youths to assist in achieving this by shunning unscrupulous politicians who would want to use them as thugs to disrupt the election.

He also charged them to resist vote buying, warning them of the dangers inherent in selling their future for peanuts.

Apam also advised the youth to guide their parents on proper voting procedure to reduce the number of voided votes.

Mrs Dorothy Bello, INEC Deputy Director for Civil Society Oragnisations, said that the forum was organised to deepen the level of awareness among youths on their electoral rights and responsibilities.

She said INEC also aimed to use the forum as a platform for dialogue, enquiries and feedback on the commission’s schedule of activities and timeline for the election.

According to her, the commission also intends to build the youth’s trust and confidence in the electoral process and motivate them to turn out en masse to vote in the election.

Bello used the opportunity to highlight steps taken so far by INEC to enable youths focus on electoral activities and charged them not to make themselves available for use by politicians.

Participants at the forum were drawn from youth organisations and campuses of tertiary institutions in the state. (NAN)

– Oct 17, 2019 @ 17:55 GMT |

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