Former Labour Party presidential candidate, Mr. Peter Obi, has called on Nigerian youths to take charge of the country’s democratic future by registering, collecting, and safeguarding their Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs).
Obi, who made the appeal in a statement on his official X handle on Saturday, warned that the survival of Nigeria’s democracy depends on the active participation of young people in the electoral process.
“Our democracy is at stake. That is why I urge every eligible Nigerian, especially the youths, to register, collect, and safeguard your PVC. When the time comes, use it wisely. Vote for leaders of competence, character, capacity, and compassion. Leaders who will put you first. Do not be intimidated, do not be deceived, and do not be bought,” Obi charged.
He described the PVC as the most powerful weapon in the hands of ordinary citizens, especially young people who make up the majority of the electorate.
“The greatest strength of democracy is in the voter’s card. Your PVC is the voice of the voiceless, the shield of the weak, and the weapon of the poor for a better life, against injustice and bad leadership,” Obi declared.
The former Anambra governor cautioned youths against falling into the trap of vote trading, stressing that those who buy votes are only investing in future corruption.
“Those who buy votes are not offering you charity; they only invest in their own corruption. They buy votes so that they can buy their way into our treasury to steal public money. Such people are not leaders, they are criminals in disguise. They are no better than killers, armed robbers, and kidnappers, because they commit the same crime of destruction,” Obi said.
He further noted that selling votes amounts to selling one’s future.
“To those who sell their votes, you are not just selling an election, you are selling the very opportunities that would have lifted you and your family out of poverty. You are selling the schools your children should have attended, the hospitals that should save your loved ones, and the jobs that would have given you dignity and a better life,” he warned.
Obi insisted that Nigeria can only change when citizens—especially the youth—take responsibility for nation-building through the ballot.
“The power to change this country is in your hands. The looters will only loot when we give them the opportunity. Your vote counts; if it doesn’t, they would not be desperately buying that vote,” he maintained.
Concluding his message, Obi urged young Nigerians to rise to the challenge of rescuing the country through active participation.
“Let us stand together and prove that Nigeria belongs to the people, not to those who trade our future for their selfish gain. Register to vote, because a new Nigeria starts with you. A New Nigeria is POssible,” he affirmed.
