The Youth Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija), alongside other youth and civil society groups, has called for a constitutional amendment to reduce the minimum age for contesting governorship and senatorial elections in Nigeria from 35 to 30 years, aiming to enhance youth inclusion in the political process.
The demand was a key resolution from the National Multi-Stakeholder Forum on Electoral Reform held in Abuja, which convened youth leaders, civil society organizations, the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), and other groups.
The forum sought to unify advocacy efforts and present a reform agenda to the National Assembly ahead of its October recess resumption.
In a communiqué signed by Bukola Idowu of Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) and Abimbola Aladejare-Salako of New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD), among others, stakeholders argued that lowering the age limit would open Nigeria’s political space, promote youth participation, and align with global democratic practices.
The forum proposed several reforms to enhance electoral transparency and fairness, including transferring the power to appoint the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman from the President to an independent, non-partisan committee.
Other recommendations included mandatory electronic transmission of election results to prevent manipulation, establishing an electoral offences commission, and concluding pre- and post-election petitions before winners are sworn in.
Additional proposals outlined in the communiqué include:Allowing independent candidacy to make elections more inclusive.
Creating a Political Party Registration and Regulatory Commission to handle party registration and regulation, relieving INEC of these duties.
Introducing reserved seats for women to promote gender equity.
Amending the Electoral Act to enable early voting and diaspora voting.
Passing legislation to establish a Political Party Registration and Regulatory Commission.
The forum urged the National Assembly and the President to finalize these constitutional and electoral reforms by December 2025 to allow time for public sensitization and implementation.
It also called on the President to foster greater citizen participation in appointing INEC leadership to rebuild public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The recommendations reflect growing calls for a more inclusive and transparent electoral process as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, with stakeholders emphasizing the need for swift action to restore confidence in the democratic system.
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