Ohanaeze Ndigbo, a pan Igbo socio-cultural group has urged eligible voters in the South East and South South to come out en masse and vote their choice candidates during the Presidential/National Assembly elections on Saturday.
The President General of the group, Chief Nnia Nwodo made the call in a statement issued in Enugu on Thursday.
Nwodo urged the people to shun any call to sit at home during the polls adding that the elections were very important to Ndigbo.
A Social Worker, Mrs Ogechukwu Enwelum also appealed to residents of the state to ignore the sit-at-home directive of the proscribed Indigenous Peoples of Biafra on election days.
Enwelum, who is the Executive Director of Divine Era Development and Social Rights Initiative made the appeal in Enugu during a road show by members of the group.
She said that the road show carried out in conjunction with the Independent National Electoral Commission was aimed at preparing the people for the elections.
The executive director said that the road show became imperative following the misinformation in some quarters by the outlawed group.
She said that the exercise was also aimed at lifting the spirit of residents of the state in readiness for the election.
Enwelum said that the three-day roadshow which was happening in all the local government areas of the state simultaneously would discourage vote-buying and violence during the polls.
“We are partnering with INEC in the conduct of this roadshow. We are preaching against election violence, vote-buying and for people not to sit at home on election days.
“The issue of IPOB hoodwinking people not to come and vote is not in our best interest. So we are appealing to residents of the state to come out and perform their civic duties,” she said.
“Our people should know that whether they vote or not, election must hold in Nigeria,” she said.
Enwelum said that it would be unfortunate for some people to sit at home while others would decide their destinies.
“This election will go a long way to determine the direction of the country in the next four years. Therefore, we must participate in order to have a voice,” she said.
She urged the electorate not to be swayed by material gifts to sell their vote on election days.
“We are hearing things about selling of voter cards which is not good for us. This is not a transactional politics but an avenue to exercise your franchise,” Enwelum said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the group marched through major streets of the capital city encouraging the residents to participate in the election.
(NAN)