The Committee of Youth Mobilisation and Sensitisation (CYMS) has cautioned youths against vote buying, financial inducements, acrimonious campaigns and attacks during the 2023 general election.
The Director General, CYMS, Mr. Obinna Nwaka made the call during the stakeholders’ conference organized ahead of the 2023 general election in Abuja.
Nwaka said that the conference was organised to reposition the mindset of the youths on its expectations with an avenue to have an interface with relevant electoral stakeholders.
He said that vote buying and financial inducements during elections especially at the polling units should be discouraged and perpetrators should be brought to book.
“We are all aware that the seasons of political coordination, campaigns and other activities will soon commence following the INEC guidelines.
“However, we want to utilise this wonderful medium to appeal to political parties, candidates, and its supporters not to violate the INEC guidelines as we enter into main building of the election.
“We are deeply constituted with grassroots presence, impressive electioneering track record on monitoring, mobilisation, observation and awareness creation on voters education, and continuous voters registration (CVR),” he said.
According to him, going forward to why we are here at the stakeholders’ conference with the theme, “Youth participation ahead of 2023 general election”, is to share ideas.
“Ideas on the organisation set objectives and programmes to strategically involve the youth meaningfully in them, widen the scope of citizenship engagement and the efficacy of protecting others civic responsibility, ” he said.
The CYMS DG said that the organisation among others also seeks to address some national and international embarrassment that occurred during election and campaign.
He said: “the use of unethical and undemocratic statement during campaign, non protection of votes and lack of support of election duty officers are not left out.
“It is worrisome that youths are the victims of bad governance, used for the above outlined activities and also secure votes for politicians during elections.
“This is because of lack of principle and ideology, awareness, sense of responsibility as a patriotic citizen and inability to utilise their potentials and strength meaningfully.
“I am sure we are all aware that the faith of who leads us will not be determined by the religion or ethnicity; only the youth will determine who wins in 2023 elections,” he said.
According to him, irrespective of political parties, we need to be engaging ourselves and it is high time we realise that we are major stakeholders, political godfathers of politicians and determinants of the faith of this great nation.
“Collectively, leaders and election stakeholders must also be engaging the youth in policy formulation, good governance, integration and dialogue to prepare them for leadership, sustainability of cultural heritage, social and economic values”, he said.
Also speaking, the Director, Socials and Empowerment, CYMS, Ms Tonto Dikeh appreciated the dignitaries, urging the youth on the need to do better in the forthcoming election
“Success growth comes from information and that information comes from peaceful co-existence,” she said.
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