The Unemployed Youth Initiative (UYI) has applauded the National Assembly for initiating a bill aimed at providing for Early Voting at Elections.

The group representing the unemployed, underemployed, and marginalized across the nation, in a statement Tuesday in Abuja, argued that the move would ensure greater inclusion in the electioneering process of the country.

Jointly led by Comrades Danesi Momoh and Igwe Ude-umanta, the group urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to take immediate and concrete actions to operationalize inclusive voting mechanisms by enabling early and remote voting for military personnel, paramilitary forces, NYSC members, and prison inmates.

They called on INEC to develop a secure registration system, assigning unique codes to military personnel, paramilitary forces, NYSC members, and prison inmates, allowing them to vote from any location, regardless of transfers or deployments.

They also called for the establishment of functional voting centers within correctional facilities, ensuring inmates retain their democratic rights.

The group insisted that the right to vote must never be treated as an afterthought since it is the bedrock of political existence, adding that in a democracy as fragile and aspirational as Nigeria’s, where voter apathy and distrust already loom large, inclusive reforms reinforce patriotism, deepen public trust, and strengthen the democratic fabric.

“The time for reform is now. Every vote must count—because every voice matters,” the group stressed.
“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.

However, within Nigeria’s democratic journey, a glaring contradiction persists: the systemic disenfranchisement of over 1.6 million eligible citizens from participating in the electoral process. This is not just an administrative oversight; it is a democratic crisis.

“To grasp the scale of this injustice, consider this: in the 2023 Presidential Election, the margin of victory between the leading candidates was approximately 1.81 million votes. That margin is roughly equal to the number of voters systematically excluded. The implication is stark—such disenfranchisement could alter electoral outcomes. Where exclusion occurs due to negligence or in bad faith, it not only undermines electoral integrity but potentially nullifies the legitimacy of the entire process.”