Dean Initiative, a Civil Society organization (CSO) has changed youth networks, students, social groups, individuals, institutions, businesses, and organizations to perform their civic responsibility of voting in the 2023 general elections, and desist from selling or buying votes in order to challenge age-long voter apathy in the country.
Executive Director of the Initiative Semiye Micheal, gave the charge during its first voter education conversation series tagged “Community Action Against Vote Selling (CAAVs)” with hashtag #iPledge2Vote campaign” to mobilize ahead of the 2023 generation elections.
Micheal noted that the CAAVs was initiated to rebuild Nigeria’s elections’ integrity by discouraging all forms of vote merchandise while looking at look at the impacts of vote selling on elections’ integrity and the quality of leadership produced by elections won by money.
He noted that the role every individual plays is critical to the outcome of 2023 election.
“This series aims at unraveling the dynamics behind vote selling and buying during election and the impact of vote selling on election integrity and quality of leadership provided by elections won with money, ” he said.
The Executive Director disclosed that after a grass root research, it became necessary to bring the issue of vote buying and selling to the public, charging participants lead the new narrative against vote buying and selling.
“As participants here you lead different groups, organization and community Network we urge that you begin to re-orientate and empower your own sub-unit to lead a new conversation and narrative against vote buying and selling behavior in the country”.
Earlier during a panel discussion, the Executive Director Center for Accountability and Inclusive Development Aanu Rotimi, said one of the key factors responsible for vote buying is lack of trust in the system of governance in Nigeria.
She called for the amendment of the education curriculum, assuring that this will change the narrative about elections at the grass root.
Another panelist Muktar Modibo, maintained that vote buying and selling is inevitable to a democratic system due to the level of poverty, stressing the need for increased sensitization if the challenge could be tackled.