Nigerian Electoral Bodies Excluded Youth, PwDs Since 1958 — Report

A study by the Electoral Hub has revealed lack of youth and disability representation within Nigeria’s Electoral Management Bodies (EMBs) since 1958.

The study, aimed at policymakers, election practitioners, and civil society actors, found no commission members with disabilities for the past 65 years, thereby raising concerns about possible neglect of the needs of voters and candidates with disabilities in policymaking.

The exclusion is attributed partly to lack of legal provisions mandating the inclusion of PwDs in electoral bodies.

However, the current Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), under the leadership of Mahmud Yakubu, has made some strides in promoting PwD inclusivity, according to the study.

Notable initiatives include the introduction of a Framework on Access and Participation of Persons with Disabilities and the provision of special voting assistive materials such as magnifying glasses and braille guides.

The study also revealed a stark underrepresentation of youth in EMBs: “Despite constitutional amendments lowering the minimum age requirements for chairmanship and commissionership positions, data accessed in the study showed that youth inclusion has also remained low.”

The data shows that only one commissioner, Rose Okoh, appointed to the National Electoral Commission (NEC) after the June 12, 1993 election, was below 40 years old at the time of appointment.

Notably, Okoh’s age of 37 at the time exceeded the category for youth as defined by the National Youth Policy (2019-2023). The majority of electoral commissioners were found to be in their 60s, with a few between 40 and 50 years old.

The findings call for deliberate efforts to include both PwDs and youth as members of EMBs through policy instruments and affirmative actions.

The history of electoral bodies in Nigeria spans over six decades, beginning with the establishment of the Electoral Commission of Nigeria (ECN) in 1958 to conduct the 1959 elections. Post-independence, the Federal Electoral Commission (FEC) oversaw the 1964 and 1965 elections before being dissolved following the 1966 military coup.

Subsequent decades saw the creation and dissolution of various electoral bodies, including the Federal Electoral Commission (FEDECO) in 1978, the National Electoral Commission (NEC) in the 1990s, and the short-lived National Electoral Commission of Nigeria (NECON) under General Sani Abacha’s regime.

The current Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), established in 1998, has been responsible for organising all elections since the transition to the Fourth Republic in 1999.

Despite the long history and multiple iterations of electoral management bodies, the Electoral Hub’s study found a persistent lack of representation for PwDs and youth throughout these institutions.