A non-governmental organisation, Willz Trust Foundation, has urged the Nigerian electorate to choose credible candidates in next year’s general elections in the country.
The Executive Director of the Foundation, Ide Aaron Anyanwu, who gave the charge at a press briefing in Port Harcourt, particularly urged the Rivers electorate to ensure that only credible candidates that will fulfill their campaign promises are voted into office.
According to him, the aim of his organisation is to entrench civil and democratic values in Nigeria by encouraging increased participation of citizens in the electoral process  across the geopolitical regions through advocacy, public sensitisation and enlightenment programmes.
“We are making progress in our commitment especially in voter education, sensitisation and mobilisation,  capacity building,  voters conferences,  media advocacy and election observation exercises”, he said, adding that his group had worked in the South- South and South- East since 2019 with focus on increasing the scope of operations in the future.
“Whillztrust foundation has, independently and through strategic partnership with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)  initiated programmes that promote voter education, provide critical voter informations to local communities in our bid to encourage citizens participation at all levels,” he added.
While recalling that the foundation played active role during the just concluded Continuous Voter registration (CVR) exercise and was able to assist over 20,000 new registrants to acquire their new Permanent Voter’s Cards (PVCs), the organisation, in partnership with INEC, would soon commence door to door voter education exercise for which its representatives have been formally trained by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in conjunction with INEC.
“A critical look at Nigeria shows indicators that all is not well at the moment. Unfortunately, we are compounded by continued decadence, corruption and lack of transparency in government and public sectors, at every election cycle incoming government will make promises to rectify the difficulties we face as a nation. However, they have always failed.
“This experience has created huge vacuum of hopelessness and loss of confidence in business of government and governance. Our experience in the field as voter education providers shows that greater percentage of Nigerians are hardly interested in voting and Election”, he lamented.
Anyanwu charged citizens never to be discouraged, but be rather determined to hold those in positions of power accountable, adding that their power to change the negative narrative is through voting in credible leaders.
“How can we hold our government accountable for promises they made on their campaign if we do not participate in elections ? Participation in election is the constitutional right and civic responsibility of every Nigerian, provided you have met the electoral requirements.
“It was because of these challenges that the existence of Whillztrust foundation became a necessity to help redefine advocacy in social sector and encourage public interest. We focus on grassroots to reach the hard to reach in  society”, he said.
He disclosed that a South- South voters’ conference is slated to hold in Port Harcourt from 1st to 3rd December, 2022, adding that the event is aimed at achieving improved voter population growth, providing voter information and education that will equip the Nigerian voters to the extent that they are able to make informed decisions and quality choices of who their preferred parties and candidates are.
Earlier, a former Commissioner for Information in Rivers State, Prof. Bene Abbey, in her opening remarks stated that voters’ education was key to having a developed country.
Abbey noted that the rapid growth of Singapore was as a result of education, remarking that there is a great difference between the literates and the illiterates as well as developed and developing countries.
She reiterated the commitment and the work the foundation was doing to ensure peaceful elections, while enjoining INEC, security agencies, the press  as well as other relevant stakeholders to play by the rule to ensure credible, free, fair elections come 2023.

By: Susan Serekara-Nwikhana