Moshood Salvador, the Labour Party’s candidate for the Lagos West senatorial district, has pleaded with Nigerians to put up with the suffering brought on by the current shortage of the new banknotes.
Salvador spoke at a gathering of party members and Labour Party chairpersons from all of Lagos’ local governments.
Salvador, who agreed with the Federal Government’s stance on the redesign of the naira, pleaded with Nigerians to endure the pain of the temporary shortage of the new notes.
He continued by saying that the policy would stop those he referred to as “money bags” from buying votes and interfering with the upcoming elections.
“The government is saying we are going through the new currency regime so that the money bags will not be able to buy votes, hire thugs to hijack ballot boxes and disrupt the election.
“The public should appreciate what the government is doing.
“The effort of government is to ensure that our votes count although we are suffering for it but we just have to endure the discomfort for at least one month until after the election, the hardship will be a thing of the past,” he said.
The Labour Party senatorial candidate also urged Nigerians to avoid divisive tendencies ahead of the upcoming elections.
“It will be uncivilized for anybody to be talking of tribe when we are talking about a united Nigeria.
“When they (Nigerian citizens) travel to the United Kingdom, they are Nigerians. They will act like responsible citizens of the country, but why is it that in Nigeria we segregate?
“If we are ready for a better Nigeria, we have to zero our minds on such divisive tendencies,” Salvador said.
Salvador, who expressed confidence in the LP’s prospects in the upcoming elections, stated that the party’s structure remained the country’s youth.
He stated that the party was ready to take Nigerians to the Promised Land.
“They are saying LP does not have a structure. I was the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for several years, but because of their ingenuity, corruption and no plan for Nigerians, we left the party.
“When we see a better party with a vision, we add our vision to it to move the nation forward.
“The LP has a structure. These are the LGAs chairmen seated here. I addressed the ward chairmen a few minutes ago. That is the structure of a political party. Any other structure is fraudulent,” Salvador said.
He said that Nigerians were prepared for the Labour Party in the Feb. 25 and March 11 elections.
“Nigerians own LP. Nigerians are the owners of LP. The youth are the owners of LP. Nigerians are the people working for the LP.
“The youth, who account for 67 percent of registered voters aged 18 to 35, are the driving force behind LP.” They are the people working hard to have a better tomorrow.
“We have to start today and not to compromise anything for a better tomorrow. We are very much prepared. LP is prepared to get to the land of promise,” he said.
On election day, the candidate urged Nigerians to vote for LP and then wait for their votes to be counted and transmitted into the server of the Independent National Electoral Commission.