The National Orientation Agency (NOA), urged youths to avoid overheating the polity by shunning hate speech, and fake news as the country goes to the 2023 polls.
Director-general, of NOA, Garba Abari, made this call in Abuja, during a one-day stakeholders dialogue on the 2023 elections, with the theme, “Fostering Youth Action For Peace.” organised by NOA in partnership with Building Blocks For Peace Foundation (BBF).
Abari said: “The INEC statistics suggest that victory in the election will largely be determined by the involvement of young men and women, especially given the interest exhibited by these groups of Nigerians.
“But this also is dependant on how much we realize our basic civic responsibilities as citizens-law abiding, ensuring that the electoral process becomes extremely participatory, inclusive and we all are ready to give support to government and the security agencies to ensure that we put doubting Thomases to shame.
“Youths should ensure that they shun hate speeches and the fake news which definitely are going to get ascendance as we get closer and closer to the elections. Incidences of fake news and hate speeches have led to war in different parts of the world, we must ensure that we use social media for purposes of progress.”
In his remarks, the executive director of BBF Foundation, Rafiu Lawal, explained that the aim of the programme is to create awareness for youths’ participation in the forthcoming general elections since their involvement is critical for Nigeria’s socio and political development.
He appealed to political actors to use all avenues as a means to educate people on the election while cautioning the youths against violence during the elections.
Lawal said: “Youths are victims of election violence because they are the ones being used by the politicians. They are usually maimed, killed and have their properties destroyed and even arrested and punished by the Security Agents.
“The role of Nigeria’s youth in election-related violence has been particularly dynamic, in that they have been perpetrators and victims at the same time. Due to eroding societal values and poverty, they are easy recruits for attacks on political opponents.”
Also speaking, the United States Ambassador to Nigeria, Mary Beth Leonard, stated that the US has provided $25 million as part of elections-related support for the conduct of the 2023 general elections in Nigeria.
Leonard said: “Through USAID, the US is providing $25 million in elections-related support to Nigeria for the 2023 election cycle. The United States has full confidence in INEC and its ability to organize and conduct credible and transparent elections.
“We saw INEC capabilities on display during the recent success of the recent off-cycle elections in Ekiti and Osun States and we look forward to seeing that success extended nationwide during the February and March general elections.”
