Nigerians are hurrying to obtain their voting cards for the next presidential election, in which three major candidates are seeking to replace President Muhammadu Buhari.
Nearly 10 million new voters have been registered for the February 25 election, with 84 percent being under-34-year-olds — a significant voting group.
The upcoming election in Africa’s most populous nation is shaping up to be an extraordinary occasion.
For the first time since the collapse of military government in 1999, a third party candidate is posing a serious threat to the All Progressives Congress (APC) and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) (PDP).
As a result of Nigeria’s escalating insecurity, high cost of living, and worsening poverty, many young Nigerians have shown a greater desire to participate in the election of their future leader.
On the weekend, large crowds gathered in Lagos schools, as election officials called out names, reviewed lists, and distributed the coveted biometric Permanent Voter Cards or PVC.
Some would-be voters were successful, but others were discouraged when they were instructed to return.
“They informed me that my PVC is not yet ready. They must return to Abuja, said Chuks David, a software developer in the Surulere neighborhood of Lagos.
“We need to get things right, so I’m taking the time and enduring the stress to obtain my PVC.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission, also known as INEC, extended the PVC collection deadline by eight days last week.
In other states, 100,000 cards were collected in only five days, according to the report.
Gbemisola Akindola, a first-time voter in Lagos State’s Alimosho district, stated that she did not see the need for change in 2019. She stated that she was determined to be heard this year.
“Right now, it’s abundantly clear that it’s time for the younger generation to take over, and therefore, if I don’t do it now, when will I?”
Previous Nigerian elections have been characterized by logistical delays, violence, and allegations of vote buying and fraud.
INEC was forced to postpone the 2019 election by a week due to difficulties delivering materials to polling sites just hours before voting was set to begin.
Voting will be more transparent in 2023, according to election officials, following the use of biometric voter identification technology known as BVAS at voting stations to prevent fraud.
Adenike Tadese, INEC’s chief of voter education in Lagos, told AFP: “This has inspired confidence in our people.”
“I want to believe that this is the reason why our citizens are trooping out en masse to collect this Permanent Voter Card.”
Whoever wins the presidency will have a number of obstacles, including addressing nationwide insecurity and recovering an economy severely damaged by the financial impact of Russia’s war in Ukraine.
The security forces have been engaged in a 13-year struggle against Islamists in the northeast, bandit groups in the northwest, and separatist tensions in the southeast.
In attacks frequently attributed to the Indigenous People of Biafra or IPOB separatist group, gunmen have repeatedly targeted local INEC offices in the southeast, torching voting equipment.
INEC warned earlier this month that if security was not addressed, the poll might be delayed or disrupted. The administration asserts that safeguards are in place to protect the vote.
Bola Tinubu, 70, a former governor regarded as the “Godfather of Lagos” for his political influence, has been nominated by Buhari’s APC. He would benefit from the ruling party’s national network.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials sort voter registration cards in a Lagos ward on January 13, 2023, prior to the February 25 presidential election.
Atiku Abubakar, 76, is a former vice president and wealthy businessman running for the presidency for the sixth time.
Peter Obi, 61, a former state governor for the Labour Party, has appealed to younger people with the notion that he is different from his competitors from the old guard and wants to bring real change to Nigeria.
In the 2019 election, just 33 percent of eligible Nigerians cast ballots, and many younger voters frequently express a lack of excitement for candidates.
The #EndSARS movement, a reference to the disbanded SARS police unit, grew out of major demonstrations against police brutality that occurred two years ago.
Those demonstrations were forcibly crushed by security forces, but several #EndSARS participants stated that the younger generation would look to the ballot box in 2023 to voice their demands.
Opeoluwa Adekoya, 27, said in the Surulere neighborhood, “It’s important that I do my part and pick up my PVC.”
“If things do not go well in Nigeria, the government is to blame, but I am also accountable.”
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