The National Orientation Agency (NOA), Yobe State Directorate, has called on residents to shun vote buying, voter apathy and electoral violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The agency made the call during a one-day grassroots mobilisation campaign organised in Damaturu as part of a nationwide sensitisation exercise to encourage eligible Nigerians to obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate actively in the electoral process.
The campaign, with the theme: “Your Votes, Your Voice, Our Future: Say No to Apathy, Vote Buying and Election Violence,” was aimed at promoting responsible electoral participation and discouraging practices capable of undermining credible elections.
Speaking at the event, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Isa Onilu, represented by the Director of Climate Change and Energy, Alhaji Ali Audu, described voting as a civic responsibility and urged eligible citizens to obtain their voter cards and exercise their franchise.
He cautioned residents against selling their votes or allowing themselves to be used by politicians to perpetrate violence, stressing that citizens must protect the integrity of the electoral process.
Onilu also called on traditional and religious leaders to take the campaign to their respective communities to ensure that the message reaches the grassroots.
Earlier, the Acting State Director of NOA, Hajiya Maryam Shetima, said the nationwide campaign focused on three critical issues: voter apathy, vote buying and electoral violence.
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She emphasised the importance of obtaining the Permanent Voter Card, describing it as the essential instrument through which eligible citizens exercise their right to vote and choose their leaders.
In his remarks, the District Head of Nawa Ward, Alhaji Aja Kalli Abba Mufama, commended NOA for the initiative, describing it as timely as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.
He urged residents not to mortgage their future by selling their votes for insignificant amounts, noting that some politicians offer as little as N2,000 or N5,000 to induce voters.
Mufama pledged to support the campaign by ensuring that its message was disseminated across his community, adding that collective awareness was necessary to address electoral malpractice.
He also expressed appreciation to the agency on behalf of the Emir of Damaturu, Alhaji Shehu Hashimi II, El-Kanemi, and the Chairman of Damaturu Local Government Area.
Representatives of the Commissioner of Police, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and civil society organisations also underscored the importance of peaceful and credible elections.
Participants at the event welcomed the sensitisation exercise and pledged to put the knowledge gained into practice by promoting peaceful participation and rejecting electoral malpractice.
