What would you do if your spouse prevents you from voting?

Usually, many couples look forward to spending their
weekends with their families after a long week at work. Some
of them believe they would not have a better time to do such
as they spend the rest of the week in their offices. Now that
an election is coming up today, SATURDAY PUNCH asked
some people what they would do if their spouses ask them to
spend time with them rather than go out to vote
I have to exercise my civic rights
Semilore Akinbola
It is important that I play my part in building the future of this
country, especially now. If I fail to go and vote, the bright
future of Nigeria that I have been clamouring for would not
come to fruition. This is the time to make it happen – by my
vote. I expect my wife to understand that I have civic rights,
which include the right to vote, and do it for whoever I want.
She should respect that and not hinder me from voting.
I can’t discuss Nigeria if I don’t vote
Mercy Ihwiwi
My husband is surely the head of the family but that has
limitations. In an ideal situation, I expect every man to
encourage their spouse to go out and vote for who they want
to be their leaders. Doing so, we are securing the future of our
children. Talking about my husband, he has to allow me to
perform my civic responsibility so that if people are discussing
Nigeria anywhere, I would have the boldness to say
something because I voted. I cannot talk or complain about
our leaders if I don’t vote.
She has to bear with me for that day
Thompson Abolade
We can always have many other Saturdays to spend time
together after the elections have come and gone. If she
understands the meaning of ‘sacrifice’ for the future, she
would not have any problem with me not being with her on
that day. As a matter of fact, I expect her to even encourage
me to exercise my right to vote as a citizen of Nigeria. I
expect her to also go out and vote and let us sacrifice
romance at least for that day.
I don’t even have a PVC
Oyinkan Esther
To start with, I do not have the Permanent Voters Card. After
many attempts to collect it and I could not, I did not disturb
myself again because it occurred to me that some caucuses
have already decided the winners and losers of this election
whether Nigerians vote or not. This is not right. Our electoral
process, including the collection of the PVC, should not be so
tedious as this. It makes people like me frustrated. Assuming
I got my PVC, I would have gladly loved to vote despite any
circumstance.
We’re going to vote together
Adeleke Adekoya
What would she be doing at home while I’m out there to vote
on Saturday? I will definitely not allow her to do anything else
when people are casting their votes, deciding the future of the
country. I will persuade her to also perform her civic
responsibility. The election is about her, I and our children’s
future, so she has to be prepared to vote with me.
He has to take me along to vote
Ajayi Adesewa
“Anywhere he goes she goes” is the beauty of marriage. So if
my husband is voting, I expect him to encourage me to also
do even when I don’t feel like doing so. Discouragement
comes when people vote and see no results for their voting. I
have also been discouraged because all these years that I’ve
been doing so, I have not witnessed the kind of
transformation I want in this country. Corruption and some
other evil deeds are the order of the day, which is not normal.
All these have frustrated me. However, if my husband still
wants to vote, he can take me along.
I’ll decide based on the situation of things
Oluwafikayo Ajayi
One cannot readily have an answer for this type of question,
especially in the face of insecurity and thuggery which had
always been associated with our elections in the past. Though
I don’t pray for such to happen this time around, if I suspect
something like that, I may tell her not to go out. As a man, I
can go out to vote while she takes care of the children at
home. It’s about protecting my family.
My civic rights prevail over his order
Mary Aborisade
On matters like this, my civic rights prevail over my husband’s
order of not going out to vote. It is a man with no
understanding that will prevent his wife from voting. My
husband is no such and so I believe he would allow me to go
and vote. There are many other weekends that we will enjoy
together after the elections have come and gone. So I’ll
persuade him to stay calm.
There’s no turning back on voting
Mohammed Abba
As for the 2015 elections, especially the presidential one, I
cannot miss it. I must register my presence by voting for my
candidate of choice. There is no U-turn on this because it has
been decided. So, nobody can prevent me from voting, even
my wife. Even if my candidate loses, at least I would know
that I have played my part. Meanwhile, I do not pray for any
incident that would discourage me from voting to occur. For
instance, if one’s spouse falls critically ill on that day, there’s
no way one would leave her and go to vote. Family comes
first before any other thing.
If he insists, I may not vote
Jelilat Oyeronke
A little issue at times could degenerate into something
unpalatable, especially when it comes to marriage. That is
why as a wife, I have to be very cautious of my actions, even
when I know I am right. Perhaps my husband fears that there
could be violence during the course of the election, he may
ask me to stay indoors. I have to obey him as he is doing his
first duty, which is to protect his wife. However, I don’t pray
for such to happen. I want to not only witness this election, I
want to be a part of it and I hope it would come and go hitch-
free.