By Bukola Olamona

Political stakeholders in Ondo State have said that  the 2023 general elections may witness less voter apathy compared to previous editions.

Recent statistics released by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC showed that as at last week, over 10million Nigerians have newly register to get their PVC’s.

In a separate interviews with The Hope, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Publicity Secretary, Peretei Kennedy and the former All Progressives Congress (APC), Publicity Secretary, Alex Kalejaiye said it  is an indication that the electorate are conscious of the fact that they can determine who presides over their affairs, at various levels.

Peretei said with the PVC awareness going on  and to get their Permanent Voters Card(PVC), they now have their right to vote.

He said the people have a choice to vote for whoever they want with their PVC because the choice is with the people.

According to him:” vote buying is a phase that will soon pass. This is so because, the people are gradually beginning to realise that the money they collect on election day is a mere pittance compared to a four year tenure.

” At least we saw voters in Anambra who rejected money offered them. The awareness is more now than then,” he added.

Also, Alex Kalejaiye said in a democratic setting, one of the core ways to participate in the process is to register and be equipped with Permanent Voter’s Card, adding that with the current unprecedented awareness and the urge to participate, it is expected that the turn out, come 2023 will be massive.

He posited that like in all developing countries, Nigerians vote largely along, ethnic, party, and religious lines, hence it would take further political development and orientation to change that.

He said: “The expected increase in the number of voters that would participate in the general elections would not necessarily translates in right or wrong selection in terms of voting, but increase in the number of votes for each candidate.

Kalejaiye said allegation of vote buying has always cropped up during elections, whether real or in the realm of imagination, and has nothing to do with the number of collected PVCs, so Nigeria needs to intensify campaigns against vote buying.

 “There should also be campaign that they should vote according to their conscience and knowledge of the participating candidates. That is the only way Nigerians can raise the level of agitation for good governance.

“However, it is pretty difficult for those in a certain level of the economic ladder to resist temptations of financial inducement” he stated.