Group lauds NASS for amending Electoral Act 2022

A rights group, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI) has commanded the Nigerian National Assembly for proactively amending the Electoral Act 2022.

In a statement jointly signed by Comrades Danesi Momoh and Igwe Ude-umanta, convener and co-convener of the group described the amendment as a big win for democracy while calling for broader inputs from stakeholders.

The group expressed delight over the bill to “Amend the Electoral Act No. 13 of 2022 to Provide for Early Voting at Elections,” including its provisions on eligibility, procedures, and related matters.

EUYI had consistently engaged the federal government through National Assembly for reforms which will usher in an inclusive electoral system and decried the disenfranchisement of millions of eligible voters despite the clear position of the law and the interpretation of Nigeria’s courts.

“As a patriotic front for the advancement of democracy in Nigeria, EUYI has long stood at the forefront of the struggle for democratic and socio-economic inclusion in Nigeria.

“In keeping with our mandate as a leading advocacy group representing the unemployed, underemployed, and marginalized across the nation, we reaffirm our belief that strengthening democratic institutions and expanding access to the electoral process is essential to good governance and bridging entrenched social inequalities.

“Indeed, at the heart of any democracy lies a sacred principle; the right to vote. It is the core of participatory governance—the mechanism through which the people confer legitimacy on the state.

“However, within Nigeria’s democratic journey, a glaring contradiction persists and it is the systemic disenfranchisement of over 1.6 million eligible citizens from participating in the electoral process. This is not just an administrative oversight. It is a democratic crisis.

“To grasp the scale of this injustice, consider this scenario; in the 2023 Presidential Election, the margin of victory between the leading candidates was approximately 1.81 million votes. That margin is roughly equal to the number of voters systematically excluded. The implication is obvious as such mass disenfranchisement could alter electoral outcomes.

“Where exclusion occurs due to negligence or in bad faith, it not only undermines electoral integrity, but potentially nullifies the legitimacy of the entire process.

“We therefore, commend the National Assembly for their bold step in advancing the “Bill to Amend the Electoral Act No. 13 of 2022 to Provide for Early Voting at Elections,” including its provisions on eligibility, procedures, and related matters. This is laudable but more should be done by way of more stakeholder consultation”, the text stated.

EUYI, therefore called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite actions towards ensuring the amended electoral law is operational as soon as possible for the benefit of affected Nigerians and the country’s democratic process.

According to the text, “with this development and in the spirit of fairness, we urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take immediate and concrete actions to operationalize inclusive voting mechanisms by enabling the early and remote voting for process military and paramilitary personnel, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, and prison inmates.

“INEC should, as matter of urgency, develop a secure registration system, assigning unique codes to military personnel, paramilitary forces, NYSC members, and prison inmates, allowing them to vote from any location, regardless of transfers or deployments as well as functional voting centers for them”.

The rights group concluded by emphasizing that, “the right to vote must never be treated as an afterthought. It is the bedrock of political existence especially in a democracy as fragile and aspirational as Nigeria’s, where voter apathy and distrust already loom large. The time for reform is, therefore, now to ensure every vote counts”.

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