April Polls: CDC Mobilises Youths Against Rigging

Ahead of April elections, the South West Conference of National Community Development Council (CDC), has vowed to mobilise youths to against election rigging.

At a meeting held at the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) Conference Room last week, the CDC said it is prepared for the forthcoming election and ensure that it is not rigged like the former.

The conference was attended by CDC executives from Oyo, Osun, Ogun and Lagos states.

The National Chairman, Mr. Yusufu Olatoye, stated that the future of the nation depended on the forth coming election, adding that all hands must be on deck to ensure that the process was successful.

He said the conference would provide the right platform to iron out issues that would assist in the smooth operation of CDC and further educate them on their role in the coming election.

“My appeal to all CDC executives present at this forum is for you to go back home with the message of one man-one-vote.

“Youths in the past have been tools used by desperate politicians to achieve their ulterior motives, but we are not going to allow that any more, the CDC must position itself and mobilise our youths as well as support them to stand up to the situation and defend their votes.

“That is our ticket to good governance and a better future for all of us,” he charged.

Lagos State Commissioner for Rural Development, Prince Lanre Balogun, said the forum was convened to enable leaders at the grassroots rob minds on contemporary issues that affect community development practices in the south west and Nigeria as a whole.

Balogun’s speech was read by the Director, Finance and Administration, Ministry of Rural Development, Mrs. Elizabeth Ashiru.

He stressed the relevant role the CDC played in ensuring effective governance, especially at the grassroots level.

“No government, no matter how benevolent, can provide all the needs of its citizens. You will all agree with me that this is one of the strongest reasons why government roots for grassroots social formations to enable it deliver service effectively at all levels.

“The reality today is that government has ceased to be provider of jobs, it has become the provider of infrastructure that promote capacity building and employment generation. People in various communities are now encouraged to harness the resources of their communities and utilise them for development,” he said.

The commissioner charged the CDC to educate the electorate to eschew violence before, during and after the election as well as ensure that their votes counted so as not to endanger this nascent democracy.

The Chairman, Lagos State Advisory Council, Moshood Dosunmu, said the principal objective of the meeting was for the CDC to compare notes of their various activities in the past year and remind members of their obligation towards engendering development in various communities.

“By this practice, we learn a few things from our approach, strategies and methodologies. Our effort at refreshing our minds on our strategy are paying off as the south- west geopolitical zone remains the most vibrant and focused,” he stated.