…Calls for procurement of more voter registration machines
A youth-based non-governmental organisation (NGO), the Nigeria Youth Organisation (NYO) has lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for introducing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) technology, which he said had removed thuggery and ballot box snatching.
The national president, NYO, Hon. Abdullahi Wali, gave this commendation during the inauguration of the youth mobilisation team 2023 code-named ‘Team 5 Million Youths Committee’ over the weekend in Abuja.
He, however, urged INEC to improve on BVAS, especially during the Osun governorship election and the 2023 general elections.
Wali further urged the commission to procure more voter registration machines and recruit more staff to ensure that eligible Nigerians and a large number of young persons can register for their permanent voter cards (PVCs) with ease in polling units across the 774 local government areas in the country.
In his remarks, the NYO national chairman, Dr. Michael Abuo, said the organisation wants an election devoid of any form of violence and that, from the structures and the ambassadors the committee is setting up at the respective polling units, the issue of ballot box-snatching and violence in the election will be addressed.
Abuo, who doubles as the chairman of the NYO’s National Youth Mobilization Committee, explained that the committee is a strategic effort to address apathy towards voting among youths and ensure peaceful conduct of the forthcoming elections.
He added that the main purpose of setting up the nationwide team is to mobilise youths across the 36 states of the federation, the FCT and the 774 local government areas, as well as 8,812 wards for candidates that will ensure youth inclusiveness in the government and good governance in Nigeria.
“We continue, as much as possible, to play a role in ensuring that Nigeria becomes greater and better than we have. As the chairman to be integrated for the Nigeria Youth Organisation, National Youth Mobilization Committee, I’ll ensure that our terms of reference will be integrated and met. The primary responsibility of mobilising young people to come out and participate in the 2023 elections towards a direction that will be beneficial to all young people in Nigeria. Lastly, for the structures which are going to be set up across the 8,812 wards, multiply that by 27.
“We are going to have a core team, across the Federation, of over 5 million young people in their respective polling working together to ensure that this project succeeds. As it stands, we are open to working with every stakeholder in the country to ensure that the aims objective and concepts of the constitution of this committee is achieved,” he added.
