The Unemployed Youth Initiative (UYI) has lauded the National Assembly for initiating a Bill aimed at providing for Early Voting at Elections. The advocacy group representing the unemployed, underemployed, and marginalised across the nation, in a statement yesterday in Abuja, argued that the move would ensure greater inclusion in the electioneering process.

Jointly led by Otive Igbuzor the group urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take immediate and concrete actions to operationalise inclusive voting mechanisms by enabling early and remote voting for military personnel, paramilitary forces, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members, and inmates.

They also urged the electoral umpire to develop a secure registration system, assigning unique codes to military personnel, paramilitary forces, NYSC members, and inmates, allowing them to vote from any location.

They equally sought establishment of functional voting centres within correctional facilities, ensuring inmates retain their democratic rights.

However, pro-democracy activists have decried the alarming voter apathy in the polity, warning that the unfortunate development could spell doom for democratic rule in the country.

A Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and International Relations, Nile University of Nigeria, Dr. Iroro Izu, in a presentation during the policy dialogue on voter turn-out during election, organised by Leadership, Strategy and Development (LSD) Centre in Abuja, warned against a repeat of the 23 per cent voter turnout witnessed during the 2023 poll.

According to the political scientist, Nigeria must strive to join countries like Rwanda, Kenya, Gambia and Ghana with high turn-out during election.

Blaming the political elite for the development, Izu stressed the need to improve voter turn-out to 90 per cent to restore credibility in the nation’s electioneering.

To him, voter burnout entails the degree of discomfort, inconvenience, uncertainty and irresponsibility suffered by voters on election day due to the unusually long-drawn hours voters spend or wait to vote mainly because of delay in voting, inefficiency of election devices, incapability and corruptibility of election workers, rude activities of thugs, hooligans, touts, corrupt security operatives, colluding communities and logistical breakdown.

To address the challenge, he called on those entrusted with the governance of the country to live up to the demands of governance in terms of bettering the living conditions of the people, and create the enabling environment for Nigerians to exercise their rights to vote for a candidate of their choice.

LSD’s Executive Director, Dr. Otive Igbuzor, argued that with nine out of over 200 million Nigerians determining the election of President Bola Tinubu, it could be likened to a minority government.

He called for good governance, judicial reforms, improved voter turn-out at the 2027 poll, voter education, as well as media and CSOs’ intervention to remedy the situation.

In his opening remarks, Executive Director of Centre for Leadership, Strategy and Development (Centre LSD), Monday Osasah, noted that ultimate authority resides with the people, who delegate their power to elected representatives through the electoral process. He lamented that citizens were not only denied their voting rights, but their votes frequently fail to influence the outcome. (The Guardian)