Tony Udemba
The Igbo speaking community in Lagos State has been urged to participate in the ongoing voters registration exercise across the country, in order not to disenfranchise themselves from casting their votes in coming elections.
The call was made by Chairman of Ohanaeze Ndigbo in Oriade Local Council Development Area, Nze Edwin Eze-Eziokwu Egboka, during a press briefing on voters’ education for the Igbo community in Lagos, recently.
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He said it is time for Igbo residing in the state and, indeed, across the country to wake up and ensure that they obtain their permanent voters cards, which would empower them to cast their votes during the 2019 general election.
He said: “As political activities gradually build up preparatory to the 2019 general election, I want to call on all Igbo residing in Lagos State and, indeed, across the country, to ensure they register at the on-going voters registration exercise, to enable them obtain their permanent voters cards (PVC).”
He counselled them not to remain passive during election, but to make good use of their numerical strength in the state by casting their votes to candidates of their choice, who would protect their interests and carry them along, saying, “the population of Ndigbo in Lagos State is so huge and constitutes an electoral advantage, which we must always utilise to vote massively for candidates of our choice who will protect our interests and carry us along.”
He noted that though every Nigerian citizen from 18 years and above has right to vote for the candidate of his or her choice during an election, that the constitution permitted only those who registered and obtained their permanent voters cards (PVCs) to cast their votes during elections.