Serial entrepreneur, beauty therapist and model, Favour Philip, is pained by the rate of killings across the country as well as the way Nigerian youths engage in criminal activities just to survive. In this interview with WW, she bares her mind on the forthcoming election and  why Nigerians should get their Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC.

By Rotimi Agbana

You posed like a warrior holding your PVC on your instagram page?

The warrior attire I wore in the picture depicts how every Nigerian should be right now. A warrior is always ready to fight, the picture is urging every Nigerian to always be ready like a warrior with their armour and weapon which is their Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC, to fight for a better Nigeria peacefully in the forthcoming elections.

Was that a campaign against electoral violence?

•Favour Philip

The fear, the killings, the tension, the hate, the prejudice, the disappointment and disunity that election creates in  Nigerians, instigated my campaign. The motive behind the campaign is to have a peaceful election process and to have peace even after the general elections, as the peace of the country is the peace of all citizens.

Any political affiliation?

Not at all, the campaign is not politically motivated and does not have any political support. The campaign is meant to be and would be on neutral grounds.

Such campaign involves money, what is your financial backup?

At the moment, the campaign has not gotten any financial support from any organisation or individual. I know I cannot push the campaign alone as election violence is such a huge problem the country faces. For the campaign to be successful, it needs financial support and encouragement, so I will call on well-meaning Nigerians to give this every support they can.

…And the harp on Permanent Voter’s Card, PVC?

My interest in calling on the youths to get their PVC is to ensure satisfaction. Nigerians don’t always get satisfied with the results of general elections and this always results in violence. The youths are also major tools used in electoral violence. This is why the campaign urges everyone to get their PVC and come out to vote to ensure maximum satisfaction.

Do you think Nigerians still have faith in the electoral system?

People have lost faith in the electoral system and they feel their votes do not count. People feel going out to vote means putting their lives at risk due to the level of insecurity and disorderliness during elections. It is amusing.

How do you manage this campaign with your other activities?

If the country is not at peace, nobody would be talking about business. Therefore, peace and security of the citizens in the country should be everyone’s priority.

And what was the concept of your campaign video about?

It is to create awareness on the importance of getting the Permanent Voter’s Card. It aims at sensitizing Nigerians in every state to get their PVCs and shun violence. The video highlights what the campaign would be like in every state for the rest of the year.

What measures have you put in place to avoid the campaign being hijacked by politicians for their personal interests?

I already stated earlier that the campaign is not going to be one-sided and it’s not politically motivated. So hopefully, any politician that wants to support the campaign would do so for the love of life, not for personal interest.

Are you endorsing any candidate for 2019?

At the moment, I’m preaching peace in the country and whoever I endorse or support for the election would not have a link or connection to the campaign as it is based on neutral grounds and would not be biased.

Your advice to the government at all levels?

Government at all levels should improve particularly on ensuring maximum security and orderliness during and after elections as security is one of the vital tools to ensure peaceful election.