Women leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Tuesday staged a road show, walking along major streets of Abuja in a convoy of vehicles with mobile musicians to sensitize Nigerians on the need to register and collect their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) and ensure they participate in the 2023 general elections.
Dressed in T- Shirts of various colours with different inscriptions with fez- caps to match, the campaigners were urging the public to get their PVCs and exercise their franchise during next year’s election. The train of vehicular and human convoy led by the National Woman Leader, Professor Stella Effa-Attoe and National Youth Leader, Mohammed Suleiman took off from the party’s Presidential campaign office, Legacy House in Maitama District of the Federal Capital Territory.
The convoy moved through the Central Business District to the popular Wuse Market distributing sensitization leaflets, singing specially composed songs and engaging traders on one – on- one talk to create time to register for PVCs. Somewhere along the movement, a group of about 20 youths gathered to reply the sing song “get your PVCs” with the shout of “Obi, Obi, Obi”.
The convoy also went round the entire length and breadth of the Area 10 market, hosting the Abuja printing hub. The shout of “Obi, Obi, Obi” rented the air more at the Ibo populated area but there was no confrontation. Most of the traders responded well by dancing to various music tunes, collecting sensitization leaflets and shouting PDP slogans. Some traders were even bold enough to display already collected PVCs expressing their readiness to vote come 2023.
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The National Publicity Secretary, Hon Debo Ologunagba who addressed the crowd at the area said Nigerians need to help themselves out of the present predicament staring everyone in the face by rejecting the party, the APC that brought hardship to the citizenry.
On behalf of the party, he said there is hope at the end of the tunnel if the people are desirous of changing the situation. Ologunagba said the PDP is providing an opportunity for Nigerians to come out of the the debacle of “economic hardship, starvation, impoverishment, insecurity and hopelessness”, only for them to vote wisely for PDP to have a change of government .
At the Area 1 Shopping Mall, where there are large concentration of traders, the National Woman Leader, Prof. Stella Attoe- Effah who addresses said “every eligible Nigerian electorate has the constitutional right to determine who governs the country in which they are citizens. She said “Nigerians have the power to change a bad and non-performing government through the use of their votes at the polling units during elections, and install a good one.
The power through which this can be done is the acquisition of the Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC). “Nigerians from the age of 18 and above should turn out in the various Voters Registration Centres in their local government areas and get registered.
“To make it faster, Nigerians can also get registered online. The period for registration has been extended and all Nigerians should take advantage of this window to get their PVCS.” A day earlier, the party held a pre- event press conference at the PDP national headquarters, Wadata Plaza, to highlight activities earmarked for the Tuesday event.
On behalf of the national chairman, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, the deputy national chairman (North), Amb. Umar Damagum said Nigerian citizens have the opportunity to change the bad narratives being experienced under the APC administration by getting their voters cards, votes for the PDP and protect their votes, to ensure their votes count. Damagun said “most of our youths today are idle. What is the course – bad governance? How do we change that – go get your PVC? Go out there and sensitize people, let them come out enmasse.
All these ASUU strikes that we see, unemployment, banditry and what have you are all due to bad governance. How do you change bad governance, it is to use your votes and act now. “You have to go out there, get people informed, let them come out and get their PVC so that we vote out this senseless government that has no direction.
“If you look at them, they don’t even have the mind to initiate this kind of thing. What they are thinking about is that come 2023, they will come and buy you off and continue to labour you, leave you at home, close down your schools and allow you to enter banditry. It’s up to you now to go out there and get your PVC”. National Woman Leader for the party, Prof Stella Effah-Attoe asked the electorate to ignore those who dissuade people from voting under the pretext that votes will not count. “Your Votes will Count! Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that your votes will not count.
Today, we have the Electronic Transmission of Elections Results signed into law. All your Votes will surely Count. Your PVC is your Power to determine your future and the destinies of your family members. Take it seriously and use it wisely.
No one should use his own hands to destroy himself. “No one needs a soothsayer to tell us that bad leadership is responsible for the life threatening challenges we have in Nigeria today”. She urged Nigerians to turn out massively on the days of elections and vote out bad leadership adding, “If you don’t turn out, then, you have thrown away your Constitutional Power to decide your future destinies”.
The PDP National Youth Leader, Hon. Mohammed Suleman itemized the level of insecurity in the country, closure of the ivory towers, persistent fuel scarcity and lack of electricity supply as indication that the All Progressives Congress lacks the capacity to turn around the fortunes of the country. Such party, he said, shouldn’t remain in office.
“The rate of insecurity is alarming and calls for urgent national attention. The Nigerian students have been out of school for over five months, with no solution in sight. The APC led federal government has paid deaf ear to the plight of the Nigerian student, thereby forcing them to roam about the street and become vulnerable to negative tendencies.
It is therefore imperative for the Nigerian youth to go out and get their permanent voters card in order to use their vote to unseat the wicked APC led federal government. “We call on all well-meaning Nigerians to take up their destinies in their hands and activate the office of the citizen by going all out to get their permanent voters” Mohammed said.
He said the PDP is no doubt the last hope for the common Nigerians on the street. “And so we encourage you all to get your PVC ready for a brighter future. Your PVC is your power. No PVC is your strength. Your PVC is your equipment to shape the future of your country,” he added.