On Thursday, Mallam Garba Attahiru-Madami, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Kwara in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urged the youth to protect their voting rights in 2023.
At a conference titled “Youths and 2023 General Elections: Your Concern, My Concern,” Attahiru-Madami made the announcement.
InsightnaijaTV reports that the symposium took place in Ilorin
was planned by the Stream 2 Top-up Mass Communication Students at Kwara State University.
Head of the Voter Education Unit Dr. Tayo Adesina represented Attahiru-Madami.
Youths, according to him, should exercise their right to vote in elections and safeguard it at polling places.
” We have been asking Nigerians, especially the youth, to get their voter cards and come out to vote on election days.
”After voting, they should not leave the polling units, but stay back to guard their votes. This will help in ensuring credibility,” Attahiru-Madami said.
He mentioned that youth made up around 80% of the population in Nigeria and said it was important to emphasize their importance in elections.
He cautioned the young people against buying or selling votes.
The event, according to Mr. Solomon Akanbi, chairman of the planning committee for the symposium, was a result of a theoretical and practical course on events management that the students offered.
”The course takes us through the process of planning, research, budgeting and execution of events.
”Having gathered the theoretical knowledge, we were saddled with the responsibility to initiate, plan, research, budget and execute an event that is germane to the society, as part of requirements for passing the course.
”It is my wish that the symposium will positively transform our attitude during elections for the sake of credibility and transparency,” he said.
Dr Isiaka Aliagan, Acting Dean of Faculty of Information and Communication Technology of the university, advised the youth to avoid unpatriotic politicians who would want to use them wrongly.
”Because of their importance, youths are the target of such politicians during elections.
”The youth are enjoined to shun all forms of violence; security agents should be at alert to ensure sanity and order,” Aliagan said.
SP Ajayi Okasanmi, the police’s public relations officer for the Kwara Command, stated that the police were working with the appropriate parties to guarantee adequate security during elections.
Mr. Segun Adeyemi, the director of the National Orientation Agency in Kwara, asked the youth to get involved in the campaigning.
Alhaji Dare AbdulGaniyu, the state’s deputy director of the agency, acted as Adeyemi’s representative.
The youth’s desired tomorrow, in Adeyemi’s opinion, begins right now.
Ahmed Latif, the chairman of the Nigerian Union of Journalists’ Kwara Council, asked the media to educate the public more on the importance of casting a large number of ballots in 2023.
