The Unemployed Youth Initiative (UYI) has criticised the inability of security personnel, prison inmates, members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), and workers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to vote on election day in the country.
The group stated that this was an infringement on their fundamental human rights to perform civic duties, as they were disenfranchised.
INEC staff, security agencies, and youth corps members, among others, are deployed for election duties in the country, hindering them from participating in voting themselves.
The Convener of UYI, Comrade Danesi Momoh, told a news conference in Abuja that the disenfranchisement of such critical segments of the population needed to be addressed urgently.
UYI noted that despite Nigeria’s commitment to democratic principles, the current electoral framework continues to exclude essential groups of citizens, thereby undermining the credibility, inclusiveness, and fairness of elections.
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The group questioned why key segments of the population, who by virtue of their duties or circumstances are denied the fundamental right to vote, play a crucial role in safeguarding electoral integrity by maintaining law and order during elections.
UYI further stated that the failure to make provisions for their participation, such as out-of-station voting, suppresses the voices of thousands of young Nigerians who should be active participants in shaping the future of their country.
The group added, “The personnel tasked with conducting free, fair, and credible elections ironically do not have the opportunity to vote themselves. Election workers, both permanent and temporary, are stationed at different locations during elections, often far from their polling units.
“Unlike in other democracies where special voting arrangements are made for election workers, Nigeria’s system deprives them of their fundamental right to vote, further raising concerns about electoral fairness.”
Regarding prison inmates, UYI stated that their exclusion from voting remains a glaring violation of their constitutional rights, recalling a 2014 court ruling that affirmed the voting rights of inmates.
According to UYI, INEC and other relevant authorities have failed to implement the court ruling, leaving thousands of eligible voters disenfranchised.
The group asserted that this systemic neglect reinforces discrimination against incarcerated individuals, many of whom have not been convicted of any crime but remain in prolonged pre-trial detention.
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