By Deji Elumoye in Abuja
With the presidential and National Assembly elections less than a week away, the Senate President, Dr Bukola Saraki, on Sunday urged eligible Nigerians to come out en masse on Saturday, February 16, and vote out outdated leaders in the country.
Saraki, in a statement by his Media Adviser, Yusuph Olaniyonu, said with what Nigerians have experienced since 2015, they must be prepared to choose competent leadership over outdated leadership.
He said: “We have all seen how the last four years have gone. It is time for Nigerians across the nation to choose economic growth over poverty; choose security over the growing and fast spreading insecurity; and choose competent leadership over leadership that is outdated.”
The Senate President posited that “If you have ever questioned if Nigeria can be better, coming out to vote and bringing your friends and relatives who have PVCs out to vote next Saturday will be your answer.”
According to him, “It is not enough to tweet about this government or share WhatsApp broadcasts, the time has come for all Nigerians to take their future in their hands and vote for visionary leaders, Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi, and the PDP slate of candidates who are promising a better Nigeria and are ready to make Nigeria work again.”
He therefore called on Nigerians who have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) across the nation to ensure that they come out to vote in massive numbers on February 16, 2019, adding that with a high voter turnout, the results of the election cannot be manipulated.
The Senate President also called on all young Nigerians of voting age to see this election as a test of the strength of their numbers, adding that with 51 per cent of the voters on the register being youths, they make up the most crucial voting bloc.
“To the young people of our nation, I want you to know that you cannot afford to just sit on the sidelines any longer. All across the world, young people like you are deciding who will lead their nations. The youth of Nigeria have an opportunity this time around to become the deciding factor.
“I have read a lot of comments about young people saying that they won’t vote because their votes do not matter and that people want to rig the election.
“Here’s my answer: If you vote, they can’t rig! The more people that come out to vote, the less likely it is for those that want to manipulate the results to do so — its a simple mathematics. It is the numbers of registered voters who failed to come out and vote that the riggers seek to manipulate in inflating votes for a candidate or group of candidates.
“I urge you all, take this election seriously, and together, we can make history together by saving Nigeria’s future,” Saraki further said.
