To motivate the nation’s youth to actively participate in this year’s elections, Tap iNitiative has organized novelty match tagged, #PVCFootball, to feature members of the Super Eagles’ 1994 and 2013 AFCON winners at the National Stadium, Lagos, on February 9, 2019.
Executive Director of Tap iNitiative, Mbasekei Martin Obono acknowledged the 1994 and 2013 AFCON players as “the greatest football team ever produced by Nigeria,†adding that bringing the two teams together would inspire a cross-generational bridge between the Millennials and the Generation X, as well as unlock the memories and youthful passion of both demographics, encouraging those with the most potent memories of the AFCON and their favourite Nigerian football idols to go to the nearest PVC collection centres and get their voters card.
This comes after INEC released a report indicating that 51.1 per cent of registered voters are between the ages of 18 and 35.
To this end, TAP iNITIATIVE has also kicked off its football viewing center campaigns in Gombe, Lagos, Imo, Kaduna, Cross River, and Abuja, ahead of the #PVCFootball awareness match to dialogue, encourage and educate young people on the need to vote.
Though the #PVCFootball match is free, spectators will be required to show their PVCs to gain entrance into the stadium.
One of the players, Victor Ikpeba, who played as a forward for the Super Eagles and now one of the ambassadors for Tap iNitiative PVC Novelty Match, commended the firm for their confidence in the former Nigerian team and the opportunity to be a part of a national cause to get the right leaders elected.
“I am happy that Tap is non-partisan. If this country needs a change, I am ready to create awareness through all my online platforms to encourage people to vote. We support what TapiNitiative is doing and I commend their effort,†Ikpeba said.
The Director, Premium Times Centre for Investigative Journalism (PTCIJ), Olufemi Joshua thanked the 1994 AFCON winners for choosing to play for the national awareness of PVC collection and voting and urged them to also play for their demised teammates from the 1994 AFCON, specifically Stephen Keshi, Rashidi Yekini, Uche Okafor, Jossy Lad and Thompson Oliha.
Former Super Eagles defenders, Nduka Ugbade and Taribo West, both expressed their relieve and gratitude to Tap iNitiative and Osiwa for putting together the PVC Football programme.
Ugbade said: “For many years, I have traveled far and wide playing football but the issue is that we kept complaining about leadership in
Nigeria but a programme like this, I believe, will go a long way to sensitize our youths so that they can come out with their PVC’s and vote for a competent leaderâ€.
West said the population of Nigeria is a great advantage and must be utilized as such. He praised the PVC Football as a laudable initiative.
According to him, “We will support Tap iNitiative and Osiwa in the area of our gifting to mobilize the hearts of the youths to get their PVC and choose the right leader.â€
Source:
guardian.ng/sport/firm-hosts-novelty-match-to-encourage-youth-participation-in-elections/
