Worried that millions of eligible Nigerians remain disenfranchised due to administrative bottlenecks and the limited accessibility to Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, the Unified Nigeria Youth Forum, UNYF, has urged the new Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, to give priority to accessibility, transparency, and institutional accountability as he assumes office.
The Forum, in a statement by its National President, Comrade Toriah Olajide Filani, maintained that the credibility of future elections depends largely on how inclusive and accessible the voter registration process becomes under the new INEC leadership.
Filani noted that though the commission has introduced digital innovations, many citizens, particularly in the rural areas still lack access to the internet.
“In Lagos, for instance, people queue up as early as 2:00 a.m. just to get numbers for registration, yet many still go home unattended to. Such experiences discourage participation and weaken public trust in the system,” he stated.
The UNYF president lamented that in a country of nearly 300 million people, less than 50 million registered voters actively participate in elections, describing the figure as worrisome and unacceptable for a democracy of Nigeria’s size.
Filani urged the new INEC chairman to adopt a decentralized and people-friendly approach to registration and card collection to ensure that every eligible voter can exercise their civic rights without stress or exclusion.
On the recent gesture by the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike, who provided residential houses for judges, he said while the initiative demonstrates respect for the judiciary, such projects should ordinarily be captured in the government’s budget to guarantee transparency and prevent misinterpretation.
“Every act of governance, no matter how noble, must follow due process. If the government intends to build houses for judges, it should be properly reflected in the national budget to maintain public confidence and accountability,” Filani added.
He reaffirmed the Forum’s commitment to supporting reforms that promote democratic participation, strengthen institutions, and ensure that governance remains transparent and inclusive for all Nigerians.
