2023 elections: Foundation unveils project to sensitive Nigerians ‘to put on thinking caps’

A new project;  Put on Your Thinking Cap” which is an election sanitation project has been unveiled to awaken the mind of Nigerians to the effects of their choices at the polling booths  and the importance of not trading off their franchise, ahead of the 2023 general elections, 

Put on Your Thinking Cap,”  is a self- funded project of the Akin Fadeyi Foundation (AFF), kickstarted to sensitise Nigerians on the need to shun vote-buying, mobilise them not to jettison their franchise, vote their conscience and elect credible leaders during the forthcoming 2023 general elections.

The project unveiling was which was anchored by the Brand and Communications Manager for the AFF, Sarah Amanabo, had almost 100 participants on zoom in addition to those on ground at the program physically in Abuja and it focuses on orientating Nigerians bit to see the forthcoming elections as business as usual.

Speaking during the unveiling, the executive director of AFF, Akin Fadeyi, vowed that no one whether politician or technocrat, would be allowed to hijack the project, adding that the project is basically focused on mobilising Nigerians to ask salient questions before casting their vites.

According to him, it us time for Nigerians to stop electing pretenders and accidental democrats, adding that the path to good governance can be paved with a well informed and active citizenry through various channels.

“The idea of the election sensitisation project ‘Put On Your Thinking Cap’ is to galvanize collective power for voice action, change the narrative of vote buying, and to empower citizens the mentality to shun the default predisposition for electing pretentious and accidental democrats during the polls

“We will remain non-partisan and neither shall we endorse any candidate. We appeal to Nigerians, No matter where you are on the political spectrum, to never hand over leadership mandate to corrupt politicians,” Fadeyi stated, assuring that the message the project wants to push to Nigerians will be shared through various channels of communication.

“We will continue to leverage various avenues to sensitize citizens to uphold excellent leadership in elective offices, and entrust power to accountable individuals. This won’t be an Akin Fadeyi Foundation initiative alone. It is our initiative,” he emphasised.

Fadeyi added that his foundation would also partner with National Orientation Agency, civic groups, media organisations and volunteers to get the message to the grassroots, adding “we have translated our jingles and video clips containing the messages into various Nigerian languages to enable us reach a large spectrum of people even  in the rural communities across Nigeria.

“It is high time people shun bribes from corrupt politicians because when they get into office, most of them live in affluence while the people they govern are left to wallow in abject poverty,” he said.

The event was attended virtually by media icons including Simon Kolawole, a board chairman of the foundation and founder of TheCable, Mojeed Jamiu, Akinola Idowu and Petra Onyegbule, a former chief press secretary to Kogi State governor.

In his contribution, Simon Kolawole,  said it is not too late for Nigerians to rally around a candidate who they think will “deliver the goods” but asked that “what is the guarantee that if we don’t collect money, rice and loaves of bread at election time, that the person is going to deliver the goods when he gets to office?”

Mojeed Jamiu advocated for independent candidacy, saying the major political parties are populated with the same set of people who had been ruling the country for long while Petra Onyegbule, said there is need to continue to advocate the inclusion of vibrant and intelligent Nigerians in the major political parties.

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