The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, reported that of the 93.5 million eligible voters, 48 million are young people, who make up the largest group of registered voters and who would vote in the elections in February and March.
During the commission’s engagement with selected groups on the role of the youth before to the 2023 general election, Mr. Festus Okoye, the national commissioner at INEC in charge of the Information and Voter Education Committee, made this statement.
He claimed that, out of a total of 9,518,756 legitimately newly registered voters between June 28, 2021, and July 31, 2022, 7,286,871, or 76.56 percent, were between the ages of 18 and 34.
93.5 million people were registered to vote in total for the general election, according to Okoye, who also noted that 51% of the 84 million registered voters for the 2019 general election were young people, both males and females.
On election day, he urged the youths to make sure they cast their ballots, emphasizing that only then would they be able to choose who would lead them.
The commission has already used technology in all of its procedures, Okoye said, adding that the electoral process would be wholly technology-driven.
He stated, “For the conduct of the election in the 176,846 polling places throughout the federation, the commission had already taken possession of the entire number of the Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation System.” In order to prepare for emergencies, more BVAS would be placed in the 8,809 registration places spread around the nation.
“On election day, only accredited voters would be permitted to cast ballots according to the BVAS’ offline functionality.”
Only registered voters who appear at the polling place with their Permanent Voters Cards will be permitted to cast a ballot.
“The commission had hired more than 1.4 million ad hoc election workers for the conduct of the general election in 2023, and insurance coverage against election-related risks, particularly potential attack, had been arranged for them.”
The current 2022 Electoral Act (as amended) “makes punishment for any act of election infraction against electoral officers tougher than the provisions in the prior 2010 Electoral Act (as modified).”
Any ad hoc personnel that would not be able to withstand the temptations of election rigging tricks should not carry out the activity, Okoye recommended.
Earlier, Mrs. Queen Elizabeth Agwu, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in charge of Anambra State, advised the young to be prepared for the difficulties of making sure that the election was held without thuggery and any other electoral malpractices.
