A rights group, Empowerment for Unemployed Youth Initiative (EUYI), has commended the National Assembly for proactively amending the Electoral Act 2022.
EUYI had consistently engaged the federal government through the National Assembly for reforms which would usher in an inclusive electoral system and decried the disenfranchisement of millions of eligible voters despite the clear position of the law.
In a statement jointly signed by Comrades Danesi Momoh and Igwe Ude-umanta, convener and co-convener, EUYI described the amendment as a big win for democracy while calling for broader inputs from stakeholders.
“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 marginalised 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 of 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.
“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.
“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,” it stated.