The youth wing of the Labour Party on Friday called for a one-week holiday for students to collect their permanent voter card (PVC) ahead of the 2023 general elections.

The Acting Youth Leader, Kennedy Ahanotu, made the call while addressing reporters in Abuja.

Mr Ahanotu also called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to extend the closure of the PVC collection date for 14 days to the elections.

He said that the gesture would enable the youth in school to travel to the various places they registered to collect their PVCs to participate in the coming elections.

“Today the youth in Nigeria want to take part in taking back their country by contributing towards the New Nigeria agenda via the ballot, and they must not be disfranchised.

“This is because many believe that a better Nigeria is possible with Mr Peter Obi and Sen. Datti Baba-Ahmed.

“Given the above narratives and the need to have a free, fair, credible and all-inclusive elections in 2023; I hereby categorically state that it will be highly unacceptable for such a number of citizens to be denied the opportunity to cast their votes due to academic calendar.”

Mr Ahanotu, therefore, called on the federal government, Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), National University Commission (NUC), state governments and other private university owners.

The call, he said, was to give a one-week holiday for students in higher Institutions to go home and collect their PVCs given the INEC deadline.

He said that the LP youth also called on the federal government to give an automatic one week holiday for students to travel for the general elections holding on February 25.

Mr Ahanotu said the LP youth group was also concerned about the numerous targeted violent attacks on the party’s youth leaders, women leaders and Obidients across the country .

He said that this was especially in Lagos, Kaduna, Enugu States, among others, adding that it was therefore very vital for his office to address the press.

The youth leader said it has become pertinent to call on Nigeria Police to arrest and bring to book those individuals who are perpetrating evil on fellow citizens alongside their sponsors.

He said that recently one of its youth leaders in Lagos was brutally attacked for pasting a campaign poster.

Mr Ahanotu also recalled that the LP women leader in Kaduna was murdered in cold blood with the injured husband now amputated putting the young children under an uncertain future.

“Hence there is an urgent need for the police and law enforcement agents to brace up as the election approaches in order to protect our innocent citizens to avoid chaos, total breakdown of law and order across the country.

“Finally, I urge all Nigerian youths and students to maintain peace, Nigeria belongs to all of us, and no Nigerian is more Nigerian than others.

“A Nigerian in Lagos is a Nigerian whether Igbo, Hausa, Yoruba or other tribes. We must take back our country with our PVCs come 25th February, 2023.”

Mr Ahanotu called on Nigerian youths to vote for someone with competence, capacity, and character they can trust who is passionate about their future and someone whose political track record and antecedents reflected modern day democratic leadership.

(NAN)