Nigerians should verify claims made by presidential candidates on their past achievements in office before voting for them during the 2023 general elections, a human society prganisation under the aegis of Collective Action Movement for Democratic Values and Environmental has advised.
The organisation also described the signing of the Electoral Act 2022 as the best legacy of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).
The chairman of CAMDVES, Emmanuel Akuba, stated in an interview with journalists in Abuja shortly after been presented an award of excellence by the National Association of Northern Nigerian Students.
According to him, the 2023 elections would not be business as usual, as no politician would be able to rig the forthcoming general election with the new Electoral Act in place.
Akuba said Nigerians would no longer accept false claims made by candidates regarding their past achievements, adding that the citizens would ensure they vote for candidates with a proven track record in 2023.
He said, “This is not time to be docile. There can’t be development in the country if we don’t get our political decisions right. Elections as started and most of those who take us for granted are coming back.
“I want to thank President Muhammadu Buhari who is leading a goverment that has made us believe in the electoral process by signing the Electoral act 2022 which means our votes will count.
“The Electoral Act which in my own view is not being celebrated the way it ought to. The greatest achievement the Buhari’s administration gave to us the electoral act. We are talking about how leaders emerge and we have now been given that weapon where the Permanent Voter Cards is the greatest power right now not even the bullet.
“So, through democratic process we are taking back our country. We are going to the grassroots to let them know that the power is in their hands and we such consciousness gets to that height the right leaders would emerge.
“The candidates are coming up with their programmes but I want to appeal to Nigerians that we must verify claims made by these candidates. You can’t cant just come and start giving us achievements. We will verify them, thank God one of them has asked us to verify their claims. We will do that.”
He commended the leadership of the students for finding him worthy for the award.
Akuba said, “I feel elated that some young men and women could identify potentials and achievements and even share in the Nigerian dream and like I said, we will all be a working together and raising the political consciousness of the average people through our platform.”
The President of NANNS, Hassan Usman, said the award was in appreciation to Akuba’s philanthropic activities and contributions to course of humanity in Nigeria.
While stating that the unity of Nigeria cannot be compromised, and is non negotiable, Usman said, “A team was constituted and of course, an independent survey was conducted on which confirmed Akuba’s contribution to humanity helping the less privileged, creating job opportunities for the teeming youth and of course, unemployed Nigerians. So we deemed it fit and necessary to tell him a very big thank and tell him to continue to do more.”
