Avoid hate speech, inciting utterances, Sanwo-Olu tells stakeholders

NYCN cautions youths against being used by politicians

The wife of Lagos State Governor, Dr. Ibijoke Sanwo-Olu, has appealed to stakeholders to avoid hate speech that can set the country on fire, and utterances that can trigger violence, adding that all hands must be on deck for a peaceful electioneering process.

She made the appeal during the third sensitisation parley, yesterday, with women drawn from various professional organisations and groups in the state, adding that it was important for stakeholders to get fully involved in the coming general elections. The event held at Lagos House, Marina, Lagos.

According to her, the parley became imperative in view of the need to sensitise female stakeholders on matters regarding the general elections, particularly on the proper usage of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS).

“As explained by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), BIVAS is a technology that integrates the three-stage voting process. It is an integrated device that is multifunctional in nature, which serves as INEC Voter Enrolment Device (IVED) during voter registration, voter accreditation on Election Day and also functions as INEC Results Viewing (IReV) Device to be used for election results upload on election day.”

She added that the initiative of the parley was also aimed at providing a platform for interaction between candidates and the people, thus paving the way for mutual understanding, which was essential to drive well-rounded development.

MEANWHILE, the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) has charged youths to be wary of being used to foment trouble during the general elections, charging them to rather act decisively with a sense of good judgment in the choice of leaders to vote for.

According to a statement made available to The Guardian, yesterday, the Vice Chairman of NYCN, Lagos West, Ademosu Adeyemi, gave the charge at a three-day retreat and capacity building for coordinators, secretaries and public relations officers across the 28 branches of the council in Lagos West.

He said, as the voice of youths in the country, NYCN has commenced sensitisation of youths on the need to participate actively in the electioneering process with a good sense of judgment to select leaders to form the next government.

“Election involves everybody, irrespective of your affiliation. So, you might not be a card-carrying party member, but you can be playing an active role. The youth council is not a political platform, but it is also contributing to the election,” he said.

“We are ensuring that young people get involved in the process, not just mere lamenting on social media. We have been doing a lot of sensitisation online and offline to tell our young people to have a good sense of judgment before they galvanise for any of the candidates that are vying for positions,” he said.