Nigerian rapper Dandizzy rallies people to vote

Nigeria's upcoming presidential election is fast approaching and several local celebrities have taken to social media or the streets to urge their fellow citizens to obtain their Permanent Voters Card (PVC) ahead of the country's general election.

The presidential election which will take place in February is one of the most anticipated elections in the nation's history.

In December, Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission expressed concerns about millions of uncollected voter cards across the country less than two months before the election.

Nigerian singer, rapper, and songwriter, Dandizzy, whose real name is Daniel Tuotamuno Darius, has been rapping on the streets of Lagos to educate Nigerians on the importance of the voter cards.

The rap is in Nigerian pidgin English, the country’s unofficial language mostly used in casual conversation.

The PVC acts as identification and allows people to vote in the upcoming general elections.

Nigeria’s electoral body, the The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), released a window in December for the last phase of collection of the cards before the elections.

Dandizzy became an Internet sensation for going to public places to rap about the people and activities around him.

The artist expressed surprise at the number of Nigerians without PVCs, but said he hoped that his efforts to educate the public would encourage them to obtain their voting card.

The INEC has announced that 93,469,008 voters have been registered for the general elections.

It recent revealed that 9,518,188 new voters have been added to the voting register.

About 52.5% of this total number are male voters while 47.5% are female.

While some Nigerians have criticised the INEC for how it handled the card distribution others believe there is not enough awareness about card collection.

The 26-year-old has already visited three states to spread the word about voter education.

Presidential and national assembly elections in Africa's most populous country are scheduled for February 25.

Governorship and state assembly elections are set to be held on March 11.