By Omeiza Ajayi
ABUJA: National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress APC, Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has identified a critical flaw in Nigeria’s electoral framework, labeling election day workers as the “silent casualties” of the nation’s polls.
Speaking at Thursday’s consultative meeting with political party leaders, organized by the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC at the Commission’s Headquarters in Abuja, Yilwatda argued that the current system systematically disenfranchises the very individuals tasked with securing the democratic process.
At the meeting, INEC had lamented the “sobering trend” regarding voter turnout in Nigeria, revealing that presidential election data shows a progressive decline in participation, falling from 53.7% in 2011 to 43.6% in 2015, dropping further to 34.7% in 2019, and reaching a record low of 26.7% in the 2023 General Election.
Special Adviser to the National Chairman on Media and Communications Strategy, Mr Abimbola Tooki in a statement said Prof. Yilwatda noted that thousands of Nigerians, including INEC ad-hoc staff, security personnel, civil society observers, medical doctors, and journalists, are unable to exercise their constitutional right to vote due to their professional deployments.
He observed that these citizens are “effectively disenfranchised on election day because of the very roles they play in safeguarding the process,” adding that they are unfairly “counted among those blamed for voter apathy, even though their absence from the polling booth is a direct consequence of national service.”
The APC chairman maintained that this recurring contradiction necessitates an urgent policy shift toward early voting.
He said his proposal aims to ensure that those on essential duty can cast their ballots before the general election day, thereby increasing inclusivity and providing a more accurate reflection of the electorate’s will.
In response to the proposal, the Chairman of INEC, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, acknowledged that while early voting has been considered as a reform to accommodate election-day workers, it presents significant operational and cultural hurdles.
He cautioned against a system where ballots are “warehoused” for counting at a later date, expressing concerns that such a practice could “expose the process to abuse, manipulation and loss of public trust, with fears that ‘huge votes could suddenly appear from somewhere.’”
Prof. Amupitan further emphasized that Nigeria’s deep-seated electoral culture remains a barrier, noting that citizens prefer real-time voting and counting to ensure transparency.
He suggested that until the country develops a system that “enjoys absolute public confidence and is seen as incorruptible, adopting early voting may remain difficult.”
Beyond trust issues, the INEC Chairman pointed to the “heavy financial implications” of such a shift, explaining that moving away from current staggered processes would require the Commission to “almost double its electoral materials,” significantly driving up the national cost of elections.
Despite these challenges, Prof. Yilwatda urged the nation to confront these realities with honesty.
He stressed the importance of balancing credibility, cost and culture to ensure that no citizen is excluded from the ballot “by virtue of service to the country.”
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