The Director-General, National Orientation Agency (NOA), Dr Garba Abari , has urged electorate to shun acts capable of undermining the credibility of the 2019 general elections.
Abari made the call during a nationwide voter education campaign organized by the agency in Abagana, Njikoka local government area of Anambra state.
Represented by Mrs Ngozi Ekeonu, former Acting Director –General and Director Political, Civic and Values of the agency, Abari said the sensitization was needed to avoid electoral violence.
He said Nigeria’s democracy which commenced in 1999 had matured, hence, need for electorates to conducts themselves orderly while voting candidates of their choice.
According to him, NOA has fully mobilized its staffers in the 36 states and FCT covering the 774 local governments to carry out mass voter education and sensitization campaigns to address three critical issues such as vote buying and vote selling, among others.
On his part, Mr Charles Nwoji, NOA State Director in Anambra said that NOA has vigorously continuing its voter education which commenced in 2018 in all 21 local council areas in the State which focused on elimination of invalid votes.
Nwoji said to further invigorate campaign the agency has reached out to stakeholders from civil society to enrich the campaign and further attract attention of electorates who are the bedrock of electoral process.
He calls out on all stakeholders traditional rulers, religious authorities community developments associations, professional guilds who are big influence on the society to mobiles their constituencies to resist and reject the practice of vote buying and selling.
Mrs Ogochukwu Okafor one of the participant said that the agency was doing a very good job in sensitising the electorates on the need to abide by the electoral rule to avoid violence or trouble of any type.
Okafor said that the seminar would go a long way in touching the minds of the electorates to think twice in their attitudes in political activities and shun any act capable of causing delay in political progress in the state.
