Abuja, Jan. 31, 2023 (NAN) A civil society organisation, Godspeed Leadership and Mentorship Development Initiative, has urged Nigerians to shun material inducement during the forthcoming general elections.
Mr Habila Kayit, Executive Director of the organisation, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Abuja .
He said that the electorate should elect candidates with talents, agility, pedigree, legacies, and agenda for the future of the country.
According to him, the electorate cannot afford to misuse the opportunity provided by the election to elect leaders that would restore the country and reposition it for the future.
“Recycling bad leaders over the years was made possible because of the citizens’ inability to question authorities and demand for accountability.
“We have survived various forms of leadership failures, economic hardship and political molestation, yet citizens did not recognise their powers to place bad leaders in their rightful position.
“The era of voting candidates based on their political parties is over, citizens must seek to hear from every aspirant seeking for any political office other than the top to bottom syndrome,” he said.
According to Kayit, Nigerians should avoid voting unprepared leaders.
“Nigerians should exercise their franchise by voting candidates with clear cut strategies to restore the country back to its lost glory, we need to be truly the giant of Africa,” the executive director said.
Kayit also urged citizens to reject any attempt to cause a security breach to ensure a secure country and hit-free election.
He also advised citizens to develop a new attitude towards election, assuring that their votes would count.
“Citizens should not keep their voter cards for identification and account upgrade alone, let us use it to make a historic statement and save our nation from corrupt and bad leadership,” he added.
Kayit commended the commitment of Nigerian youths to the enthronement of good governance in the country and called on them to shun vote buying and selling, so as not to mortgage their future.
“We stand against vote selling and encourage members of the public to report vote buyers to law enforcement agents.
“Nigerians will continue to hold the electoral umpire liable should they fail to organise elections that will reflect the wishes of the citizens.
“However, the reassurance by INEC that our votes will count is a confirmation that citizens will have the privilege to elect leaders that will serve with honour and dignity,” he said.
