During a 2024 meeting with Resident Electoral Commissioners across the states, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, presented a comprehensive report stemming from months of consultations with key stakeholders in Nigeria’s electoral landscape. The document outlined a series of recommendations designed to improve the electoral process. This latest report builds on a previous assessment of the 2023 general elections.....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

At a 2024 meeting with State Resident Electoral Commissioners, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, presented a comprehensive report following months of consultations with electoral stakeholders. The report, which builds on the review of the 2023 general elections, contains a wide-ranging set of recommendations aimed at improving future electoral processes in Nigeria.

Yakubu revealed that through both internal reviews and stakeholder engagements, the Commission identified 142 actionable recommendations. These span critical areas such as election preparedness, voter education, political party management, logistics, technology, election security, and legal reforms. One notable recommendation is the introduction of early or special voting for Nigerians who are typically disenfranchised due to their involvement in election day operations. These include INEC officials, security personnel, ad hoc staff, accredited observers, and journalists deployed outside their registration areas. There is also support for exploring diaspora voting options.

Recognising the challenges posed by uncollected, misplaced, or inaccessible Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), Yakubu said INEC is considering a review of voter accreditation requirements. Going forward, computer-generated slips—either printed or downloadable from the Commission’s website—may be accepted for accreditation, alongside existing PVCs. This shift aims to reduce costs and eliminate the practice of voter card hoarding intended to disenfranchise voters.

In response to the push for early voting, Senator Abdulaziz Yar’Adua of Katsina Central has sponsored a bill—currently at second reading in the Senate—proposing amendments to sections 10 and 44 of the Electoral Act 2022. The bill outlines a framework for early voting, including voter eligibility, procedures, and designated voting centres. It mandates that early voters be accredited election personnel whose names appear on a special register compiled by INEC. Applications must be submitted 30 days before early voting, and votes cast will be counted on the main election day.

Senator Yar’Adua emphasized that the bill addresses a critical democratic gap. Over one million ad hoc staff, hundreds of thousands of security personnel, and tens of thousands of accredited observers and journalists are typically excluded from voting. These numbers, he argued, could sway electoral outcomes if properly enfranchised. The bill aims to enhance voter inclusion, especially given Nigeria’s declining voter turnout—from 47% in 2015 to 27.3% in 2023.

Beyond early voting, the Senate is also considering a bill sponsored by House Speaker Abbas Tajudeen, which seeks to grant voting rights to Nigerians living abroad. Co-sponsored by Sadiq Ango Abdullahi, the bill proposes amendments to section 39 of the 1999 Constitution to enable diaspora voting in future general elections. It acknowledges the substantial economic contributions of Nigerians abroad and argues that civic inclusion is both fair and necessary.

Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has expressed strong support for early voting and even suggested extending voting rights to legally presumed innocent detainees in correctional centres. He noted that over 70% of inmates are awaiting trial and questioned the denial of their constitutional rights.

Civil society groups have also backed these reforms. Cynthia Mbamalu of Yiaga Africa described the early voting proposal as a bold step toward democratic inclusion and electoral fairness.

Collectively, these initiatives reflect growing momentum to broaden electoral participation, reduce disenfranchisement, and enhance the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy through constitutional and legal reforms.

”NIVONEWS”