Prof. Ishaq Akintola, Director, Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), has appealed to Nigerians not to adopt a lukewarm attitude towards the forthcoming general election.
Akintola in a statement on Monday in Lagos, appealed to Nigerians to go out and vote massively in the general election.
”We must not be lackadaisical about this election because it is a watershed in the history of our nation.
”For the first time in a very long period, Nigerians have the opportunity to choose between sentiment and objectivity and between reality and sheer mirage.
”We have a lifetime opportunity to choose between motion without movement and progressive motion.
”There is an urgent need to reduce the gap between the rich and the poor. We must vote our conscience. What we are advocating is massive turnout at the polling booths.
”Christians, Muslims, traditionalists must go to the polls. Nigerians of all tribes must do the same. Poverty knows no religion. Disease knows no creed and hunger knows no tribe,” he said.
Akintola added:”The sacrifice which we must make on those voting days are not for us per se, it is for our children, our grand children and our great grand-children.
”Let us stand in the sun or in the rain as the case may be on that day knowing fully well that it is the day of sowing so that we can reap in future.”
Akintola also urged young Nigerians to eschew violence in all its ramifications before, during and after the election.
”Those who hire thugs will continue to live after the election, many of those who allow themselves to be used may die in the process.
”Our youths must therefore avoid violent acts like ballot-snatching and the kidnapping of opposition candidates,” he said.
MURIC appealed to Nigerian voters not to sell their votes saying it is their right to choose the direction they want the country to go.
”It is your conscience and your conscience is your essence. The man dies in him who puts his conscience on sale.
”We appeal to candidates of various categories in the general election to be valiant in contest, humble in victory and magnanimous in defeat. It must be Nigeria first,” he said.
