He said the campaign was borne out of the desire to change the narrative, by enlightening residents of the state, especially the youths, on the gains of desisting from electoral malpractices.
He advised youths not to be misled into electoral thuggery and vote buying as a result of the current cash crunch experienced across the country, but to show steadfastness and unswerving commitment to the ideals of peaceful, credible elections.
He also called on politicians not to take undue advantage of the youths by luring them into electoral malpractices as this would be counterproductive.
According to him, the PCRC in Imo, would take the campaign against vote buying, violence and thuggery, to various communities, streets, markets, motor parks and other places where youths can be found.
” It is rather unfortunate that we have unpatriotic politicians who lure our youths into vote buying, violence and thugger. Today’s politicians must not set the wrong standards for our future leaders.
” We urge our youths to vote their conscience in the general elections irrespective of financial or other inducements. We want them to desist from violence, to use the ballot, not the bullet.
” We have also met with stakeholders from various political parties, as well as traditional rulers and religious and community leaders.
” We have educated them on the gains of violence-free elections, and we call on the police to arrest anyone luring our children into political violence and other similar vices ,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the PCRC carried out the campaign using flyers and public address systems mounted on branded vehicles.
The vehicles bore inscriptions such as: “Non-violent elections 2023” ; “Youths must shun thuggery and violence” ; “Say no to vote buying” and “Use the ballot not the bullet”, among others. (\
NAN
