The National Association of Seadogs, NAS, has urged eligible voters to turn en masse to elect Nigeria’s next president as the 2023 General Elections begins on Saturday.
The group during a sensitization campaign to Dei-Dei Building Materials Market in Abuja at the weekend said the 2023 presidential election, slated for 25th February provides another golden opportunity for Nigerians to vote right leaders into positions to steer the affairs of the country.
Speaking to journalists during the exercise, the President of Sahara Deck, Olamide Oni, urged politicians and voters to desist from vote-buying and other electoral vices capable of thwarting the elections.
Oni explained that NAS, which is also known as the Pyrates Confraternity, is non-partisan and has no preferred candidate but was interested in the peaceful outcome of the general elections.
He said the group’s commitment is aimed at supporting the country in conducting a free, fair and peaceful election.
He said: “This sensitization campaign is to ensure that Nigerians do not only vote but that they must also know the procedure about voting so that their vote will count and not be wasted. We are also sensitising the people on the need for them to check for their polling units before election because according to the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, some polling units have been moved and voting won’t take place in some.
“As an organisation, we are coming out to tell the people to vote and elect whoever they feel is the best candidate to do the job. The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, can do whatever they feel will curb vote buying but we are not coming from the angle of partisanship.”
Oni also hailed the electoral umpire for getting set for the coming election, saying, “We had a question and answer session with the INEC national commissioner, Festus Okoye where he reeled out their preparation.
“So far, we can give them a pass mark that they have tried and are prepared for the forthcoming elections. We therefore call on politicians to be calm, and should ensure peaceful coexistence, shun thuggery, violence and vote buying in this coming election”.
Also speaking, Vice President, Zuma Deck, Emeka Ukatu, urged politicians to respect the peace accord they committed themselves to while stressing the need for security agents to arrest and punish anyone found committing election violence.
According to him, “The Peace accord is something that was introduced two elections ago and from our own point of view, it is something that we will promote and encourage all political parties to buy into.
“It gives the public the confidence that there would be peaceful elections. Though, we may say that some of these politicians, after signing, backtrack on the agreement, but there is always the first step in ensuring peaceful elections.
“We are also saying that people who engage in election violence should be arrested and held accountable irrespective of the party they have alliance to”, he added.
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