Groups Call on National Assembly to Expedite Action on Electoral Reform
Kuni Tyessi in Abuja
The Youth-led Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija), Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) and other youth and multi-stakeholder allies across the 36 states have pledged continued collaboration and support to the National Assembly to address the priorities of Nigerians such as electoral reform.
This is even as top five youth electoral reform priorities have been submitted. They include: the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission; post-election petition resolutions; timely transmission of election results; INEC leadership selection process reform and the interpretation and amendment of continuous voters registration provisions.
The recommendations submitted to the National Assembly Committees on constitutional review and electoral matters by young Nigerians focused on independence, neutrality, and efficiency of INEC, adjudication of election petitions and the prosecution of electoral offences, qualifications for contesting elections, strengthening political party ideology through expert review and harmonisation meetings.
In a speech that was read yesterday in Abuja at a briefing by the Executive Director of KDI, Bukola Idowu, a nationwide survey revealed that 57 per cent of 4,324 respondents were dissatisfied with the electoral process in the 2023 elections, and 94 per cent emphasised the urgent need for constitutional and legal reforms to improve the system.
He said from the aforementioned, 87 recommendations were distilled into 35 prioritised proposals, and a national multi-stakeholder forum refined into 13 key recommendations for constitutional amendments.
He noted that in the early part of 2024, KDI and its regional partners embarked on a youth-led electoral reform advocacy journey with the aim of amplifying young Nigerians’ voices in the national dialogue on electoral reforms to gather input from youths across Nigeria’s six geo-political zones to identify their electoral reform priorities based on lessons from the 2023 elections.
He said: “Our nationwide survey revealed that 57 per cent of 4,324 respondents were dissatisfied with the electoral process in the 2023 elections, and 94 per cent emphasised the urgent need for constitutional and legal reforms to improve the system.
“Through this process, we hosted 12 youth forums, engaging over 400 young people, including political party youth leaders, social-cultural youth organisations, transportation unions, entrepreneurs, and other groups previously excluded from electoral reform conversations.
“87 recommendations were distilled into 35 prioritised proposals, and a National Multi-Stakeholder Forum refined these into 13 key recommendations for constitutional amendments.
“The top five youth electoral reform priorities in Nigeria include the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission, Post-Election Petition Resolutions, timely transmission of election results, INEC leadership selection process reform and the
interpretation and amendment of continuous voters registration provisions.
“As the National Assembly resumes this crucial legislative session, we urge the National Assembly to prioritise the youth’s five key electoral reform recommendations and work swiftly towards amending the Electoral Act 2022 and the Constitution” he added.
