The Corporate Accountability and Public Participation Africa (CAPPA) has expressed worry about reports that suggest that about 3.5 million or more Nigerian youths may not be able to vote during the general elections due to tertiary institutions academic calendars for the 2022/2023 session.[spacer height=”25px”]
According to a statement signed by Zikora Ibeh, CAPPA’s Policy and Research, this position is hinged on media reports indicating that most tertiary institutions that have resumed after the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will continue academic activities during the February 2023 elections and will only shut down in March 2023 after the polls.[spacer height=”25px”]
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) revealed last October that 7.2 million new voters or 76.5 percent are young people between ages 18 -34 years. Of these, 3.8 million or 40.8 percent are students.[spacer height=”25px”]
In a statement issued in Lagos, CAPPA said that the determination of the tertiary institutions to proceed with normal academic activities during the elections would constitute a violation of the rights of students to participate in the election processes as guaranteed in the 1999 Constitution as amended.[spacer height=”25px”]
The CAPPA statement reads: “It will be unfortunate that after the gruesome exercise of registering and collecting their PVCs, many Nigerian students in higher learning institutions across the country will miss the opportunity to cast their votes.[spacer height=”25px”]
“While we acknowledge the impact of the prolonged strike by members of ASUU on the academic calendars of many higher learning institutions across the country, and the pressure therefore by teaching authorities to cover lost grounds – prompting school authorities to schedule exams and important classes on the week and eve of election days, we insist that students must be allowed to exercise their civic responsibility to vote, as education and democracy are closely connected.”[spacer height=”25px”]
Source: Independent Newspaper & Nigerian Tribune
