 Kwuzak ap ap tthi, y y ni tjoʻg wot ʻin 2023 lexions. Elexions haave faw yea ḧsako ʻin Nigeria, although an eleksion ʻis ʻa days event, so many other events ʻlead up to that ʻparticular one day vote casting event. Unfortunately, that one day event impaks our lives ʻfor many years and even for many generations ʻto come. Since democracy in 1999, Nigeria has had up to six election cycles that have led to the emergence of four different presidents. Each has had either positive or negative impacts on the economy and society, depending on your personal interpretation. Despite being an oldie in this election matter, as far as a 23-year-old person is an adult, and given that we have had up to 23 years of democracy, our election process hasn't gotten any better. And Nigerians are yet to understand the gravity of their election decision or indecision. So today, we'll be looking at why we need to vote, especially in the coming 2023 election. Number one, elections have consequences. Let's make this clear. The most voted candidate emerges as the winner of every election. All things been equal, though. This person makes every decision that affects the country, or his or a policy from healthcare to education, to the Twitter ban, to information sharing, to security, and every other thing you can think of, even to us being on strike. The execution of the laws of the land depends on this one individual. Mind you, every decision he or she makes, whether good or bad would impact your well-being and those of your children, grandchildren, and even your whole generation. So if you know this person wields this much influence, why would you allow others decide for you? Number two, not voting is giving up your choice. A lot of reasons people give for not voting is that their votes, their one vote doesn't count. But choosing not to vote, you automatically give up your chance to influence the election. In fact, this is when you don't count at all. Elections are decided by the people who go out to vote. If you don't vote, someone else will make that decision for you. Just think of it as someone deciding what your future would look like. Number three, it's your money. With the new federal and state-in-land revenue drive, especially since that more of your hard-end or soft-ending come, if you're for the soft-like like me, would be, especially since most of that would be taxed. This means that whoever gets into power would use your money the way he or she deems fit. You should have a say in this as well. Number four, voting is an opportunity for change. This present administration came in on the mantra of change, which captured a lot of people and made a lot of people decide to vote at that point in time. Voting gives you that chance. Support the candidates of your choice and ballot measures that can help your community, states and even the nation for a greater good. Make your voice heard in these elections. Vote. Voting is one of the secure ways of making a lasting impact in your generation. Please don't miss out on this. In summary, this is my call to every Nigerian, patriotic or not, especially those that have historically avoided elections in the past to come out to vote in this 2023 elections for their preferred candidates. God bless Nigeria. So what do you think? I mean obviously I agree with you because I think we're talking almost about the same thing, voter apathy and why people think that their votes don't count and how the politicians understand the psyche and are using it against the people. Like I was saying, I said that elections are rigged all over the world. They're rigged. So Nigeria is not peculiar and when you think that oh, they're going to rig so it doesn't matter, then obviously they have the chance to do that. But imagine even just if everybody did their part, then things will be more difficult. If everybody rose up and came to that realization that I count, your candidate doesn't have to win. So I think sometimes we think that oh, if your candidate didn't win it's because they rigged your candidates out of it. No, it's not about your candidate winning. It's about due process being followed and you taking responsibility because as a citizen of Nigeria it is your civic duty and responsibility to vote and you should understand that even if it's only on that day you have so much power. Look at what the politicians do. They go paying people and sometimes that's the only way they... because they also know that if you don't vote nobody goes going to win if nobody votes. So just know that you have so much power and that if this is the only time use it, you'll be amazed what will happen. One thing you said that I really want to build on is the fact that, you see, it's not about your candidate winning. It's not just that. Because apart from the outcome of the election one other thing going out to vote does it's that it sets an agenda. Now there are so many, you'll be shocked if you go into Nigerian politics we know our system is not what it should be. I don't want to say it bad but it's not what it should be. But you'll be shocked that there are so many people in the system who want to do good but they don't have the capacity to do it. There's no enabling environment. Now, by voting you're having a voice. They can then build on your clam whether listen, if we don't do this this is what the people will do because they are weak to vote. So let us for once do the right thing so that at least we can secure the next election because it's not about you unfortunately in Nigeria globally politicians vow they vie to win elections. The only thing abroad is that they understand that they need to take care of you for them to retain their seat but for us whether or not we take care of you we have ways of retaining our seats. Because we know you're not going to vote. So if you're able to come out and vote you set an agenda, you grandstand We are here watching this guy because if for example let's say a young person comes out now for local government chairman are not a member of any of the two parties maybe the smaller parties then maybe the party A of the two parties the party A wins 20,000 party B wins get 19,000 and the lesser party or the smaller party is able to get 10,000 he didn't win but already you've told them that listen if you mess up there are now three parties there are now three parties I can catch up and get any of you so that is one thing voting does comfort I want you to say thank you we have heard I'm not going to put you on the spotlight so my issue here is every single election circle every single one INEC has still not been able to work out its logistics look it's one thing yes for me to be able to come out it's one thing for me to come with my vote but if the system where I'm supposed to go and vote is surely done the materials don't arrive it's supposed to start at 8 they don't arrive to 12 then when you get into the line the machines are not working and then we have to go through accreditation before we even cast the vote every single year I mean we are human beings we get one out and one down how do we for me my question here is not just coming up but how do we get INEC to rise up to the importance of their role in ensuring that people actually come out to cast their votes but comfort let me ask you this have you thought of it that it is possible is it possible that all the malfunctioning logistics and all that could be as a result of internal sabotage exactly because a lot of these things the guys didn't work that was my thought as well that's what I'm saying before then and suddenly they're working that's what I'm saying so how do we now also it should be a piece of our advocacy how do we get INEC to realize that they too part of the reason that people don't want to come out and vote yes we I mean so you have to who side are you on you're supposed to be a neutral you're supposed to be neutral you're supposed to be the bridge between the us and the whatever so if you are playing well tune it's going to be the same thing and that was why I just wanted to say okay I've heard okay so can I say my piece now again so this is what I was saying about systems when systems fail then you need people but if there was this system in place because every time they change the INEC person somebody else comes up with another idea of how it should be done and I'm not saying we cannot refine or fine tune previous processes well there's no system in place so you bring in the people and because we're bringing in the people we're creating a mess if there was this way that this is how elections run five months before these things are done three months before these things are done there's no system one day no let me finish let me finish because so if we had a system so in America for instance we know the date they are going to vote they know the date that the whatever is going to take place so Nigeria gives you and says oh between so and so you must do it there's no date there's no definite date and then people come and then you go to cast your vote and then they may say oh something happened it's there's just no system in place and that's where most of our problems that's where it stems from the president also needs to sign that electoral bill because I was watching the news and I saw the people who are going to decide for us who we're going to vote for it's horrible I'm sorry I'm not trying to be snooty or anything but I can tell that some of them cannot read they cannot write they don't understand what is at stake but these are the delegates that we have who are going to make this decision so when I'm thinking of the last election I'm thinking okay you offered me Attiku and Buari what exactly was my choice who were exactly were we going to vote for so I didn't vote for either of them I voted for somebody else because I knew he probably wouldn't win but at least I have the satisfaction that I cast my vote and I voted for my candidate which is what I meant by your candidate doesn't have to win to win but you see when it comes to systems particularly INEC INEC actually has a structure the only thing that happens with INEC with every new person no is that they try to make it better for example before yeah before you have Google yeah no hold on before you have Google came in we had brought in this structure to say okay the voting times and everything how to plan it then when this one came in it actually started fixing dates for elections so we knew the date for election 2023 as way back as 3 or 4 years ago so and it give timelines to your when the primaries should happen if it happens after this you wouldn't get this and that is why the last election there were times where APC couldn't fill the candidates in certain areas because either the election wasn't carried out the way it was meant to be or it came later than it should have so they didn't qualify in Rivers and Zamfara they couldn't fill the one of the logistics one of the back end one of the back end no that's why I'm not saying that that's why I raise the issue that is it possible that there are internal saboteurs who have been paid to now just frustrates everything INEC is doing because you realize that you hear this has been dispatched a day or two before it's gone to the then it gets there and it's welcoming to the indication who are taking the fall exactly that is a problem that's the thing so what's INEC doing to actually stop to stop that exactly how are they stopping it who are taking the fall we should process does not work there's no accountability there's no one to hold you up and say this is what you're supposed to do everybody just does what they want we need leadership we're like a rather less ship we're just going everybody's just doing what they want because what is guiding us exactly that's really the system wow we thank you for your attention while the program lasted we hope our conversation resonated with you and that in some small way encourage you to contribute to your immediate environment little drops of water they say makes a mighty ocean don't forget the advocate continues on our social media platform on Facebook plus TV Africa the advocate hashtag the advocate NG and on Twitter and Instagram at plus TV hashtag the advocate NG catch up with previous broadcasts go to plusTVAfrica.com slash the advocate NG don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube channel plus TV Africa and plus TV Africa lifestyle join us next week same time on this station let's keep advocating for better society see you next time bye bye bye