Mr Oluwatobi Fatoki, the candidate of Accord for Oyo State House of Assembly, says innovation introduced into the nation’s electoral processes will enhance success of the 2023 general elections.
Fatoki, from Lagelu State Constituency, made this known on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ibadan.
NAN reports that Fatoki celebrated his 35 years birthday on Tuesday with a sensitisation on the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in his constituency.
“The innovation of INEC has made it difficult for anyone without PVC to vote in the nation’s electoral process,” the Accord candidate said.
Fatoki said that innovation introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), in line with the Electoral Act, 2022, would allow transparency, thereby making votes of the electorate to count.
According to him, innovation such as INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED); Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS); Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) and INEC Results Viewing Portal (IRev), will make the election to be won on the strength of electorate acceptability and the candidate’s popularity.
“Transmitting election results from the polling unit on election day in 2023 through the (IRev) will enable the electorate from anywhere to view the result in its entirety, thus allowing for transparency.
“It will remove the atmosphere of tension on election day; of course, this will not give room for anyone to tamper with the results during collation.
“We are aware also that filling of incident form has become history in the nation’s electoral process.
“So, there’s hope that 2023 general elections will produce leaders that majority of Nigerians desire,” Fatoki said.
He, however, expressed concern on the issue of vote buying/selling, urging the electorate not to allow politicians to harraass their sensibility with cash before and during elections.
Fatoki urged the electorate against selling their future and that of their children because of a token.
He said, “collecting such ridiculous money from the politicians will not give them the boldness to challenge any political office holder whenever the need arises.”
The Accord candidate called on all his constituents who had registered, but yet to collect their PVCs, to make it a duty to reach the nearby INEC office for collection.
According to him, PVC is the only voice that you have to support me to win the forthcoming election.
He said non of his supporters would vote in the forthcoming election without PVC.
Fatoki further urged Nigerian youths to rise up and prepare to take up the mantle of leadership in the country.
“Youths constitute majority of electorate, so the leadership of this country falls where youths want it to fall.
“My plea is that youths should have a sober reflection about the country and take a decisive step to savage it from the old generational politicians,” he said.
The Accord candidate also urged his supporters and the entire people of Lagelu State Constituency to count him worthy to be their next representative in the state House of Assembly.
He promised that effective and quality representation would be his watchword, if eventually given their votes and won the election in 2023.
