The Independent National Electoral Commission appears to tackle ,underage voting in the forthcoming 2023 elections . According to a news report, The Independent National Electoral Commission is working to ensure that citizens who are yet to attain the legal voting age will not be allowed to participate in the 2023 elections. The Director of Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Victor Aluko, assured the public that the voters register will be cleaned up completely and no underage voter will be allowed in 2023. Despite 23 years of uninterrupted democratic experience, Nigeria’s electoral process is still fraught with lots of irregularities due to structural deficiencies. Although, over the years, the nation has witnessed seamless transition of political power from one administration to another, including from governing political party to opposition, the electoral process and procedures still lack credibility.
Underage voting has been a major issue in Nigeria since the return to democracy in 1999, successive governments have failed to solve this problem, and this has posed a challenge to having an effective democratic system. Under the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, people below the age of 18 are not permitted to vote or participate in elections. While underage voting is prominent in the Northern region, in recent years the menace is beginning to spread to other parts of the country. In previous elections Nigeria’s highest underage voting numbers were witnessed in Kano and Katsina States. Underage voting has become a national challenge and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not done much to curb this persisting problem.
In the build-up to the 2023 general elections, INEC has stated that steps have been taken to prevent underage voting in the country such as making the entire voters register public and soliciting the help of Nigerians to assist the commission in cleaning up the voters register. The commission has also committed to punishing those found guilty of tampering with the integrity of the voter’s register. While cleaning up the voters register is key to curtailing this menace, it is important to note that the lack of a complete and central national database in Nigeria is a fundamental contributor to underage voting.
Again, INEC needs to make proper security arrangements for officials on electoral duties. INEC must collaborate with the security agencies to protect its officials and safeguard the integrity of the registration and voting processes. Adequate security must be provided at all election points to curtail desperate politicians and their henchmen who may seek to threaten and intimidate electoral officers to do their bidding.
