…Tasks states, stakeholders on grassroots sensitisation
By Steve Oko
Former Senate President, Senator Adolphus Wabara, has expressed deep concern over the low turnout of eligible voters in the South East for the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
According to recent statistics released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), fewer than 5,000 people have registered in the region since the exercise began on August 18.
Describing the figure as “very discouraging,” Wabara urged eligible voters, especially those who have just turned 18 or will do so before 2027, to take advantage of the exercise and obtain their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“The figures from South East are not palatable; we can’t afford to miss out,” he warned.
He called on state governments, local councils, community leaders, and stakeholders in the zone to embark on grassroots sensitisation campaigns to encourage mass participation.
While blaming public apathy on what he termed INEC’s lack of transparency in past elections, particularly the 2023 presidential poll, Wabara advised voters in the region to move beyond disappointment.
“No amount of excuses can justify the consequences of shunning the exercise; we must not play into the hands of our oppressors,” he cautioned.
Wabara, who also serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), urged Nigerians to see the CVR exercise as a “national duty” critical to ending what he called the All Progressives Congress (APC)-led maladministration in 2027.
He warned that Nigeria might not “survive for too long if the APC continues in power beyond 2027,” insisting that the PVC remains the only legitimate weapon to dismantle bad leadership.
“Nigeria is already on the verge of collapse, and the only opportunity we have to avert this danger is to acquire our PVC ahead of 2027. We must retire the enemies of our democracy,” he said.
While acknowledging voters’ frustration with the 2023 elections, Wabara cautioned against boycotting the CVR.
“We can’t cut off our face to spite the nose. 2027 is more than an election; it’s a rescue mission for Nigeria’s democracy. Every patriotic citizen must be part of this rescue mission irrespective of tribe or faith,” he declared.
Reiterating his call for urgent electoral reforms, particularly mandatory electronic transmission of results, Wabara urged the National Assembly to “do the needful before 2027” to restore public confidence in the electoral process.
“Nigeria’s democracy is in the ICU. Electronic transmission of election results in real time has become the inevitable surgical knife to save our democracy. The National Assembly must not fail to rise to the occasion now,” he stressed.
The former Senate President concluded by warning that votes must be made to count in 2027, noting that “those benefiting from today’s anomalies may be tomorrow’s wailers.”
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