National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda has raised concern over Nigeria’s electoral process, pointing to what he describes as a major but often ignored contributor to low voter turnout in elections.
Speaking at a meeting of Chairmen and Secretaries of political parties with the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC at the Ccommissions’ National Headquarters in Abuja, Professor Yilwatda noted that thousands of Nigerians who are legally eligible to vote are effectively disenfranchised on election day because of the very roles they play in safeguarding the process.
He listed INEC ad-hoc staff, security personnel, civil society observers, medical doctors, journalists and other essential support staff who are deployed for election duties but are unable to cast their votes.
According to him, these categories of citizens are later counted among those blamed for voter apathy, even though their absence from the polling booths is a direct consequence of national service.
Professor Yilwatda stressed that this contradiction calls for urgent policy reflection, particularly on the long-debated issue of early voting.
Responding to the issue, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, explained that while the idea of early voting had been considered, it raised serious operational and cultural concerns.
He noted that by the time he assumed office, work on the Electoral Act Amendment Bill had largely been completed, but early voting stood out as one reform that could potentially accommodate election-day workers.
However, the INEC Chairman cautioned against a system where votes are cast early and “warehoused” for counting after the general election. Such an arrangement, he warned, could expose the process to abuse, manipulation and loss of public trust, with fears that “huge votes could suddenly appear from somewhere.”
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
