The Nigerian Association of Women Journalists(NAWOJ), Abia State Chapter, Wednesday, embarked on a voter education exercise across the three senatorial zones of the state with a call on Abians to preserve their future by using their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to vote credible leaders.
Speaking during the kick-off of the Voter Education Exercise at Nkporo, Ohafia LGA, the State Chairperson of NAWOJ, Comrade Josephine Ogwo, made it clear that the Association which is non partisan decided to partner the Independence National Electoral Commission, (INEC) to educate and enlighten the populace especially those at the rural areas on the importance of participating during elections.
Comrade Ogwo enjoined the people to resist all forms of thuggery and electoral malpractice even as the 2023 elections draw closer.
She urged the community to come out enmasse, exercise their franchise in the 2023 general elections and vote in credible leaders.
Also speaking, the Secretary NAWOJ Zone C , South East, Comrade Tina Ikwuegbu disclosed that the voter education exercise would spread to every nook and cranny of the state with the aim to protect Abia people from being used by desperate politicians and advised them to guard their PVCs jealously.
Educating members of the community on the new voting process, Comrades Gloria Abiakam, Blessing Ralph Igbokwe, Sally Anyaso and Chibuzor Maduka-Iro, decried the rate of voter apathy, thuggery, vote selling and buying among others and urged the people to ignore such tendencies maintaining that the decisions at the 2023 polls will go a long way to determine the future Nigeria needs.
In his reaction, the Chairman Nkporo Traditional Rulers Council, Eze, Uka Iro Eme who spoke through Eze Innocent Mba commended the women Journalists for embarking on the exercise which according to him has gone a long way to enlighten them on the new electoral process urging them not to relent.
In their separate reactions, Ugoeze Orie Eme and Ugoeze Onukwube Obasi Uka described the move by ABIA NAWOJ as a right step in the right direction and promised to make good use of the knowledge they have acquired from the excersice as they prepare for the forthcoming general elections.
Also in their separate speeches, some youth leaders including, Uka Eme Mba and Mr. Uka Marcus appreciated NAWOJ for the voter education describing it as apt while appealing to INEC to provide more PVC collection centers at the rural areas to ease the stress of traveling miles to collect their PVCs.
