By Stephen Adeleye
A Civil Society Organisation (CSO), Connected Development, has advised women and youths in Kogi against selling their votes to the detriment of their future.
Amb. Hamzat Lawal, the Executive Director of the CSO, gave the advice when speaking with over 350 women at Upogoro/Odenku ward in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Lawal, an International Election Monitor, advised the women to get their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and vote for credible candidates in 2023 elections.
He noted that the cash donation, distributed to the women, was to boost their petty trading as part of the efforts to improve the livelihoods of the people at the grassroots.
He explained that the empowerment was also part of the sensitisation of the grassroots against vote buying and selling.
According to him, the organisation was in the community to kick start a door-to-door, house-to-house and ward-to-ward sensitisation advocacy for the collection of PVC.
He described vote buying and selling as a great threat to the political development of Nigeria and urged the electorate to resist any attempt by money bags politicians to deceive them with items and money at the detriment of their future.
As a mobiliser working with grassroots, my simple message is that if politicians that are corrupt come to you to induce you with petty items, you should reject their offers.
Do not collect money rather vote on issues, listen to them and ask them salient questions about their ideas and what are their plans.
Vote for people you can hold accountable and people that can deliver dividend of democracy to improve your well being, Lawal advised.
Responding, the women leader, Mrs Bilkisu Ahmed, commended the organisation for the pre-campaign sensitisation and assured that women in the ward would heed to the advise of no selling of votes.
Also speaking, Mr Usman Abdulsalam, a youth leader, said they were impressed by the sensitisation.
He said that the meeting had opened their eyes to consequences of selling their votes, and assured that henceforth their votes will be based on capacity and antecedent of candidates. (NAN)(www.nannews.ng)
Edited by Kamal Tayo Oropo/Isaac Aregbesola
Source: NAN News