The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, on Monday urged Nigerians to participate in the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), saying the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) is the most powerful tool for building a new Nigeria.
Speaking in a statement issued on his official X handle, Obi said eligible voters should not underestimate the power of their PVC, which he described as “the voice of the voiceless, the shield of the weak, and the weapon of the poor against injustice and ^read more bad leadership.”
The former Governor of Anambra State emphasised that Nigerians must organise themselves to make election rigging difficult, warning against selling their votes.
According to him, politicians who engage in vote buying do so only to secure access to public funds for looting, and those who sold their votes mortgaged their future and denied themselves and their children access to quality education, healthcare, and job opportunities.
He called on Nigerians to vote for leaders with competence, character, capacity, and compassion, warning them not to be deceived or intimidated during the electoral process.
“The future of our dear nation is in your hands. The greatest strength of democracy is in the voter’s card,” Obi said.
“Those who buy votes are not offering you charity; they only invest in their own corruption. Such people are not leaders; they are criminals in disguise.
“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 wouldn’t be desperately buying it.
“Our democracy is at stake. That is why I urge every eligible Nigerian to register, collect, and safeguard your PVC, and when the time comes, use it wisely. Let us stand together and prove that Nigeria belongs to the people, not to those who trade our future for selfish gain,” Obi added.