Regina Otokpa 
A rights group, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI), has commended the Nigerian National Assembly for proactively amending the Electoral Act 2022.
Recall that EUYI has consistently condemned the disenfranchisement of millions of eligible voters despite the clear provisions of the law and the interpretation of Nigerian courts, urging the government to run an inclusive electoral system.
In a statement jointly signed by the Convener and Co-Convener of EUYI, Comrades Danesi Momoh and Igwe Ude-Umanta, on Tuesday in Abuja, the group described the amendment as a major win for democracy.
The statement partly reads: “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 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, 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: 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.”
The group commended the National Assembly for its 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.
EUYI described the move as laudable but called for broader stakeholder consultation.
EUYI further urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to expedite actions to ensure the amended electoral law is implemented swiftly for the benefit of affected Nigerians and the country’s democratic process.
“With this development, and in the spirit of fairness, we urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take immediate and concrete steps to operationalize inclusive voting mechanisms by enabling early and remote voting for military and paramilitary personnel, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, and prison inmates.
“INEC should, as a 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 establish functional voting centers for them.
“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 now to ensure every vote counts.”
