The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, has called on Nigerians to participate actively in the Continuous Voter Registration, stressing that the Permanent Voter Card (PVC) remains the most powerful tool for building a new Nigeria.

In a post on X yesterday, Obi described the PVC as “the voice of the voiceless, the shield of the weak, and the weapon of the poor against injustice and bad leadership.”

“The future of our dear nation is in your hands. The greatest strength of democracy is in the voter’s card,” the former Anambra State governor said.

He urged eligible citizens not to underestimate the power of their votes, while warning against selling them to politicians. According to him, vote buying is simply an investment by corrupt politicians to gain access to public funds for looting.

“Those who buy votes are not offering you charity; they only invest in their own corruption. Such people are not leaders, they are criminals in disguise,” Obi said.

He stressed that Nigerians who sold their votes had mortgaged their future and denied themselves and their children access to quality education, healthcare, and job opportunities.

Calling for vigilance and resistance against electoral malpractice, Obi urged citizens to elect leaders with competence, character, capacity, and compassion.

“The power to change this country is in your hands. The looters will only loot when we give them the opportunity. Your vote counts if it doesn’t, they wouldn’t be desperately buying it. Our democracy is at stake. That is why I urge every eligible Nigerian to register, collect, and safeguard your PVC, and when the time comes, use it wisely,” he added.

Obi reiterated that “a New Nigeria is possible” if citizens take responsibility for the change they seek.