…Musical Concert Holds in Lagos on Saturday

… Attendance is by presentation of Voters Card

Nigerian celebrities, musicians, actors and comedians will showcase their various skills at a Youth Vote Count 2.0 mega music concert billed to take place at the Tafawa Balewa Square (TBS), Lagos, on Saturday. It is the first in a series of concerts that will hold across major Nigerian cities aimed at mobilising Nigerian youths to register to vote under a Youth Vote Count Campaign.

Assembled to thrill the large audience are Kizz Daniel, Falz, Teni, Patoranking, Skiibii, Mayorkun, Waje, Tu Baba, Mr Macaroni, Real Warri Pikin, Toyin Abraham Ajeyemi, Broda Shaggi and Ashake. Others are: Pasuma, Ufeoma McDermott, Uche Jombo, Lasisi Eelenu, Kie Kie, Omoni Oboli, Uti Nwachukwu, Chioma Akpotha, Joe Boy, and Small Doctor.

Addressing a press conference at TBS, Lagos yesterday, spokesperson for the organisers, Mr. Samson Itodo, Executive Director of Yiaga Africa said not less than twenty-five thousand youths are expected to be and participate at this concert by presenting their permanent Voters Card (PVC) or Temporary Voters slip before entering the venue.

Mr. Itodo addressed the journalists alongside representatives of other partners of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) including Mr. Lanre Arogundade Executive Director of International Press Centre (IPC) and and Dr. Akin Akingbulu of the Institute of Media and Society (IMS). Also present at the media briefing were Laolu Olawunmi, Programme Manager of EU-SDGN and the INEC Resident Representative for Lagos State, Mr. Olusegun Agbaje.

Mr. Itodo said the need to mobilise youths was informed by their low turnout in previous elections. “The youth turnout in the 2019 general elections was less than 30%. In Lagos State, the youth’s turnout was lower than that of INEC with 5% at the 2019 general elections. This has made electoral stakeholders within the country to express their concerns as the 2023 general elections are getting close”, he said.

According to him, the Youth Vote Count Campaign is designed to promote positive political behavioural attitudes amongst the youths adding that “Popular culture, technology and the media are the tools that will be used to sensitize young people to participate in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection”.

As part of the build-up to the concert the CVR process is taking place at TBS from June 6 to June 11, 2022. Mr. Itodo stated that “the aim of the exercise is to allow many youths to register and still be able to participate actively at the concert. The CVR registration exercise will be conducted by INEC in all the other concerts that will take place within the country”.

Explaining the role of the celebrities one of whom in the person of MI was present at the media briefing, he said the purpose is to encourage the youths to get registered and collect their PVC and in turn come out in their large numbers to vote for their preferred candidate during the next general elections through assurance that their votes will count.

EU-SDGN and INEC are hopeful that the project will bring together an improved engagement between the citizens (youths) and the Independent National Electoral Commission. The belief is that the improved engagement between the two will enable them to have better knowledge and understanding of the electoral process, which will boost the trust and confidence of the electoral process. Furthermore, it is also hoped that the Youth Vote Count will boost INEC’s responsiveness to queries, objections, enquiries about CVR and PVC.