The Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, has assured Nigerians that their votes would count in 2019 general election.
Yakubu stated at youth votes count campus outreach programme organised by the commission in conjunction with European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES) and YIAGA Africa at UniAbuja campus, on Thursday.
“Let me give you an undertaking since you promised to register that in 2019 your votes will count. In 2019 only the votes cast by Nigerians will determine who win the election”.
He urged the students to take the programme seriously and ensured they registered and obtained their voters registration cards.
Yakubu who said the youth are the future of the country urged them to ensure they cast their votes and ensured their votes are count during 2019 general election.
In his speech, the Executive Director, European Centre for Electoral Support (ECES), Fabio Bargiacchi said that youth should be carried along in every discourse about development.
Fabio who said youth constitutes 60 percent of the country’s population added that their energy should be harnessed and their power could make difference in politics.
According to him, European Centre for Electoral Support would continue to explore its partnership; collaboration and strategic engagements to contribute to strengthen INEC internal and external communication with all relevant stakeholders.
He described youth as critical stakeholders for the success of democracy of Nigeria and of any country at lerge.
He said that the campus outreach programme was enlightening and informative that provides adequate knowledge on what the INEC has been doing in the area of voter education programme.
Some of the students who spoke to Daily Trust expressed delight and said that the programme was educative.
In his remark, the Vice Chancellor of the University of Abuja, Professor Michael Umale Adikwu who was represented by the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academics Professor EJV Nwanna, applauded INEC and European Centre for Electoral Support for organising the programme.
