Executive Director, New Generation Girls and Women Development Initiative (NIGAWD), Abimbola Aladejare-Salako who is leading the Youth-led Electoral Reform Project (YERP-Naija) in Southwest Nigeria, has celebrated the vibrant spirit of democracy as Ondo State holds its gubernatorial election today.
The YERP-Naija initiative addresses systemic gaps in Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly those affecting youth inclusion. It builds on lessons from the 2023 general elections by proposing and implementing youth-centric reforms to increase participation and improve election administration. YERP-Naija empowers young Nigerians to advocate for changes, monitor election processes, and push for adherence to democratic principles.
Ahead of Saturday’s election, 54 committed youth volunteers championed voter education and PVC collection campaigns across Ondo State. Leveraging community networks and social media, these volunteers contributed to an impressive PVC collection rate of over 85%, with young people comprising more than 35% of the total. This success underscores the critical role of youth in shaping Nigeria’s democratic future.
Through persistent community engagements and consultations with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), YERP-Naija has called for youth-friendly electoral strategies. Previous recommendations include:
Utilizing digital tools like SMS and emails to inform voters about PVC collection.
Expanding PVC collection points to locations close to youth-centered locations like tertiary institutions.
Ensuring adequate training of ad-hoc staff to improve election-day efficiency.
These measures aim to restore public confidence in INEC and increase youth participation. INEC has been receptive in adopting these recommendations towards their administrative and logistics preparations leading to today. YERP Naija commend this positive moves by INEC
Call to Action
NIGAWD and YERP-Naija call on all young people in Ondo State to seize this opportunity to cast their votes objectively and responsibly. Use your PVC to elect the candidate of your choice without succumbing to financial inducements. Reject any attempt to involve you in acts of violence; remember, when the elephants fight, it is the ground that suffers. Let today be a celebration of peace, integrity, and the power of your voice.
Our volunteers, a non-partisan team deployed across all 18 local government areas, are observing INEC and key stakeholders like the Police and other security agencies to ensure adherence to election guidelines. Using the YERP-Naija Election Process Observation Survey Tool (YNEPOST), they will monitor critical aspects of the electoral process. Feedback from these observations will be shared with the people of Ondo State and Nigerians at large, ensuring transparency and accountability.
The Ondo gubernatorial election marks a significant step in Nigeria’s democratic journey. As young people lead the charge for reform, we celebrate their role as change-makers in promoting free, fair, and credible elections. As votes are cast, we urge all stakeholders to uphold the integrity of the process and to prioritize the will of the people at the polling units and collation centres for more inclusive democracy in Nigeria.