Youths, who only recently reached voting age and make up a majority of the nine million Nigerians recently added to the voters’ register are expressing enthusiasm about voting for the first time in a general election with the expectations that their votes would count.
The potential for violence and stories of politicians using all possible means to rig elections however, have many of the would-be voters worried about the credibility of the 2023 polls.
According to data released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, the population of the 93m voters’ register is now 37m strong, making them 40 percent of eligible voters.
Some of the new entrants to the voting population spoke with LEADERSHIP Sunday on their experiences in registering to vote, where they plan to vote and what or who motivated them to register as voters for the very first time.
Tirimisiyu Olatunji, 21, a final year student of Kwara State College of Education, Ilorin hopes to vote for the first time during the 2023 general elections.
He plans to vote at polling unit (018) Ibagun ward, Okelele in Ilorin East local government area of Kwara State.
Also in Ilorin is Ridwan Hanafi, 20, and a student of Alh-Hikmah University. He is enthusiastic about voting for the first time and prays the election would be credible and devoid of any act of violence.
Virtually all those who are going to cast votes for the first time during the coming 2023 general elections in Anambra state say that they decided to participate in the exercise because of the introduction of the use of Biometric Voters Accreditation System, BVAS, machines and other reforms in the Electoral Act, 2022 which will make the election difficult to be rigged.
INEC Registers 93m Voters For 2023 Elections
They said that they want to vote to make sure that someone who has the interest of the suffering masses of this country at heart; someone who has integrity and capacity to create employment opportunities for the youths; create a new Nigeria where there is security, harmony among people of the country irrespective of ethnic and religious differences emerged as President of Nigeria.
John Okonkwo is 36 and a mini-bus drive in Anambra. Although he reached voting age 18 years ago, he plans vote at a polling unit at Lafiaji-Fegge area of Onitsha -South local government. He said “I have not been voting before, but I will vote this time because I want to vote for someone who can provide job opportunities for the youths, give attention to education, so there will be no more ASUU strike.
“This BVAS introduced by INEC and that the votes we cast will be transmitted electronically; and the whole results will make it difficult for the election to be rigged. That means that our votes will count and the result of the election will be decided by the voters. This not is what has been happening in this country,” Okonkwo stated.
To Nasiru Shuni, February 25, 2023 date for the presidential and National Assembly elections should just be tomorrow. Reason is that, the young lad is anxiously waiting for the D-Day, to exercise is franchise, casting his ballot for the first time.
Nasiru, a 19-year-old barber, who recently collected his Permanen PVC and expects to vote at Yahaya Gusau Primary School, under Gagi ‘B’ Sokoto South local government told our correspondent that he will be happy to vote the candidate of his choice.
“I have heard a lot about how elections are being conducted and, the closest I have seen was the last election in 2019. Immediately I turned 18 and the voters registration exercise was announced, I quickly registered and later, collected my PVC.
“Just last week, there was an awareness campaign in our area on how to thumb print properly and guide against invalid vote. I look forward to experience the voting process.
“A friend told me that politicians give money to voters on election day in exchange for their vote. If this is true, I will not collect such money but, vote for the candidate my family agreed we should vote for,” he said.
According to Monday Aku who said he turned 18 in 2022 February, he had always longed to turn to an age where he could be among the voters and God has answered his prayers.
“February last year 2022 was my 18th birthday and this February 2023 I will be 19. I registered for my voters card last year and luckily I got my PVC.
“My joy is that, I will use my PVC to vote out those old people who have refused to give way for the young ones, some of them are contesting and their children are also contesting, so where will the ordinary poor man get the opportunity to contest. I will participate in the election and vote against them”.
When asked his political party, he said, ” I am not going to vote based on any party, I will only vote credible candidates and young people, not old people. On that day I will vote party and candidate of my choice, I can’t tell you which party I will vote for now.”
Eunice Imafidon in Benin, Edo State has concerns about the credibility of the elections, especially after hearing stories about the conduct of politicians. She turned 18 in March, 2022 and is going to vote at Geroge Idah primary school ward.
She said, “I’m so excited that I’m going to vote for the very first time having turned 18 years of age. I have been hearing from my peers that they will rig the elections but since I have collected my PVC, I will come out with my dad to vote no matter what.
“We are tired of the situation of things and that why I had to spend hours last week to collect my PVC”.
On his part, Nosa Ighodalo noted that he is encouraged with the assurance that the new technology introduced by INEC, the election cannot be rigged.
“I’m looking forward to voting in next month’s election. At least we have been told that with the BVAS introduced by INEC, elections cannot be compromised. I’m very happy to be planning to vote for the very first time.
Hee said, “I just hope that by voting for new leadership, Nigeria will witness prosperity. Nigerians are suffering and are tired. We want a better Nigeria that works for all”..
Jimin Ogoche a 19-year old resident of Television Community in Chikun Local Government area of Kaduna State said:” I reside here in Television community and my polling unit is near Bahago Road Television market and I will vote there on the day of election. I expect a credible result not forge results by the politicians”
In Ekiti, one of new prospective voters, Adebola Ojo, who turned 20 last year said she would vote at a unit very close to her house in ward 8 in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Ojo who said that she collected her PVC last year, hopes that the poll will go on as planned.
“My expectation is that nothing will stop me and other Nigerians from exercising our civic responsibility. I can’t wait to have that experience of voting in an election. You know it is held every four years.
“I also look forward to a situation whereby the process will be peaceful and hitch-free”.
Another respondent, Olaoluwa Oladele said he is happy that he will be counted among the citizens of Nigeria who will decide those that will rule the country for the next four years.
The 22-year-old Oladele who disclosed that he will be voting on the day of the election at one of the polling units in ward 11, said his expectation is that the votes of the electorate will count.
“People should be allowed to vote for the candidates of their choice. There should not be rigging, ballot-box snatching, vote trading and violence”.
He added that his wish is to see a political leader or leaders who know what it takes to address the country’s various challenges emerge at the end of the exercise.
“I expect that the next president of Nigeria will be a leader with a blueprint to address insecurity, hunger, poverty, recurring fuel crisis, and the biting economic condition of the country”.
He maintained that “A lot has been happening in our beloved country in recent times and you will agree with me that Nigerians youths are the worst hit.
“Some of them are into entertainment, sports, information and communication technology and others in an attempt to take their destiny into their own hands.
“Others have taken to internet fraud, armed robbery, kidnapping, banditry, prostitution and various anti-social practices as a way of solve the pervading economic hardship.
First timer voters in Osun State are confident that their votes will count in the forthcoming general elections in Nigeria.
19-year-old Bola Tawose, who will vote at Ward 3, Unit 7, St John’s Pry. School, Ikinyinwa-Ijesa in Obokun local government area of Osun recently collected her PVC.
She expressed delight that she would for the first time have the opportunity to cast her vote for her preferred candidates in the 2023 general elections.
Our Expectations From Forthcoming General Election – First Time Voters
Majority of the electorates in Rivers State, have expressed the hope that the elections will be transparent, credible free and fair.
Speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday in Port Harcourt, one potential first time voter, Rose Boms, said she is aware that past elections had been marred by violence, rigging and snatching of ballot boxes.
19-year old Rose, who registered at Unit 3, Ward 17, Port Harcourt City local government area of the state, said with the new Electoral Act and the introduction of BVAS by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), she expects the February 25 and March 11 polls to be the best in the history of the country.
Also speaking with LEADERSHIP Sunday, another first time voter, Ikechukwu Precious, said with the new Electoral Act, he expects the forthcoming general election to be free from violence.
Precious, aged 21, who registered Unit 10, Ward 6 in Etche local government area of the state, said: “In the past, we heard about how thugs sponsored by politicians went around on election day causing violence, inflicting injuries on people and snatching ballot boxes.
“I believe that with the Electoral Act and the way things are going now, the election will be free from thuggery and snatching of ballot boxes. It is based on these assurances that made be to register and I don’t expect INEC to disappoint me.”
We Have Some Measure Of Confidence Based On BIVAS, Fresh A’Ibom Voters
Fresh voters who just turned 18 in Akwa Ibom state have also expressed excitement at being given the first chance to participate in the leadership recruitment process, and commended President Muhammadu Buhari for some far-reaching reforms which, they hope, if effectively followed through, could bring positive developments to bear in Nigeria’s democratic experiment.
Speaking separately to LEADERSHIP Sunday in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom state capital at the weekend ahead of the February 25, 2023 polls, Effiong Udo Otobong (18) from Udianga Enem village in Etim Ekpo Local Government Area (Ward 8), commended the National Assembly and the President Buhari-led administration for embarking on “electoral system reforms”, saying “it would go a long way to instill sanity in the process of choice leaders to emerge through a transparent, free and fair process.”
“My expectations as a would-be voter for the first time is to ensure my vote and others’ votes count, so that at the end of the day, we have the leaders that we need to change things for the better in this country,” he enthused.
For Mbakara Udemeobong, a resident of Afaha Oku, Uyo LGA, “I am super excited that am going to going to vote as a first timer, because of assurance I have concerning the use of BVAS, which I am sure, would reduce lot of problems usually encountered in the manual process.”.
“Using this electronic system, I am very sure my vote will count, rigging will be minimized, violence and thuggery that used to mar every election in the past could be contained since incidences of snatching ballot boxes at gun-point will no longer command any attraction,” he added.
In the same vein, Miss Nseobong Etim, from Use-Ndon village in Ibiono Ibom LGA, said: “My happiness in being a participant as a registered voter for the first time, is to contribute my quota towards electing new set of leaders to run this country from the recycled leaders, who are bereft of ideas on how to navigate this country out of her current socio-economic and political travails.
“I stand with the younger generation with energy and drive to disconnect Nigeria from her dirty past and relaunch her along the path of growth and socio-economic recovery for prosperity and prestige of the country amongst the comity of establish nations.
“Today, our parents struggle to pay our fees, provide foods and many other things, therefore, I want to see if my one vote can be aggregated along with others to effect the real change that would turn the fortunes of the country for the better so our future can be secured,” he stressed.
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