NATIONAL DAY OF ACTION ON YOUTH‑LED ELECTORAL REFORMS
A Statement from MAP Development Initiative (MAPDI), South West Partner, Youth Political Participation (YPP) Electoral Reform Consortium
All across Nigeria today, young people are moving. Not just talking on WhatsApp or X. Stepping out. Calling. Demanding. It’s the National Day of Action on Youth‑Led Electoral Reforms, and MAP Development Initiative (MAPDI) is right in the middle of it from the South West.
MAPDI serves as the South West partner in the Youth Political Participation (YPP) Electoral Reform Consortium, coordinated by Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) and supported by the Canada Fund for Local Initiatives (CFLI). Big names, yes. But behind those names are real faces. Student leaders. Community organisers. First‑time voters who stood in the sun for hours and still wonder if their vote truly counted.
We are not doing this work alone. In the North West, JESZ Development Foundation is on the ground. In the South South, Fringe Voices is pushing hard. In the North East, Child Protection and Peer Learning Initiative keeps raising the alarm. In the South East, Better Community Life Initiative is mobilising communities. Together, this consortium is chasing one clear goal: make elections something young Nigerians can trust. More youth engagement. Stronger accountability. Cleaner, more transparent electoral process. Simple words, very hard work.
Right now, Nigeria is standing at a kind of crossroads. The National Assembly is getting ready to vote on a fresh round of constitutional and electoral reforms that has already passed through several review stages. What they decide in the next few days won’t just sit on paper. It will shape how credible our elections feels. It will affect how independent our institutions really are, and if citizens can actually believe results when they are announced.
For years, youth groups under the YPP Electoral Reform Consortium have been repeating the same message. Over and over. Three core reforms. Clear. Consistent. Now those reforms are finally in front of lawmakers. And this moment, honestly, is too important to waste.
Key Reform Demands and Why They Matter
| Recommendation | Constitutional/Legal Focus | Why It Matters to Nigerians |
| 1. A transparent, merit-based process for appointing INEC leadership | Amend sections 153 and 154 to remove presidential discretion in appointing the INEC Chair, National Commissioners, and RECs; establish a special non-partisan selection committee drawn from reputable national institutions. | Current appointment processes raise concerns about political influence. A non-partisan mechanism will strengthen public trust in INEC, enhance neutrality, and reduce perceptions of bias. This reform improves the integrity of elections and reinforces INEC’s independence. |
| 2. Conclusion of all pre-election cases before election day and resolution of post-election cases before inauguration | Amend section 285 to shorten timelines for pre-election and post-election cases; adjust jurisdictional provisions for the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal; introduce eligibility thresholds for filing petitions. | Prolonged litigation creates unfair advantages, pressures the judiciary, and allows candidates with pending cases to assume office. Timely adjudication ensures fairness, reduces political tension, and aligns electoral justice with democratic expectations. |
| 3. Establishment of the Electoral Offences Commission | Passage of the enabling Act and related constitutional alignment to empower an independent body to investigate and prosecute electoral offences. | Violence, vote-buying, intimidation, and impunity undermine elections. A dedicated commission will professionalize investigations, ensure accountability, and deter manipulative practices that compromise the will of voters. |
These reforms rise directly from lived experience. From the young woman whose polling unit result changed mysteriously overnight. From the first‑time voter who watched cases drag in court for years and learnt the sad lesson that justice can be delayed into silence. From communities that see institutions bend when political pressure comes. Young Nigerians are tired of that story. They want a new one.
If passed, these changes will strengthen transparency and calm a lot of the tension that always surrounds elections in this country. They can improve credibility of outcomes at local, state and federal levels. And it’s not only the public that stands to gain. Lawmakers do, too. A trusted electoral system means fewer post‑election fights. Less litigation. Fewer midnight court runs. Mandates that are clearly legitimate, and therefore easier to defend. Those who back these reforms will be remembered as people who stood for democratic accountability, not just short‑term advantage. That kind of legacy doesn’t fade quickly in the minds of constituents.
As the South West partner in the YPP Electoral Reform Consortium, MAPDI is calling on members of the National Assembly: this is the time to show real commitment to Nigeria’s democratic future. Vote in favour of these youth‑driven priorities. These choices are not abstract. They touch the safety of our communities, the confidence of citizens, and the stability of democratic governance itself.
We also appeal to Nigerians everywhere – civil society organisations, journalists, faith and traditional leaders, content creators, market women, youth influencers – keep speaking. Don’t go quiet now. As the votes draw near, public pressure is not a disturbance; it is a necessary balance. It reminds elected officials that there first duty is to the nation, not to party interest.
And we are not stopping at statements. Next Thursday, in Osogbo, Osun State, MAP Development Initiative will host a multi‑stakeholder Town Hall on Electoral Reform. One room. Many voices. State House of Assembly members, CSOs, youth leaders, community development associations, market leaders, policy advocates – all invited to sit together, argue, agree, and leave with a stronger, united push for these reforms. It will be serious, but also honest. People will speak their mind. That is how democracy should feel.
Under the CFLI‑supported YPP Electoral Reform Consortium, we remain fully committed to building an electoral process that actually mirrors the hopes and frustration of Nigeria’s young population. These reforms deserves passage, not another delay. The future of electoral accountability – and the fragile trust between citizens and the ballot box – depends heavily on the decisions made in this moment.
Signed,
MAYOWA ADENIRAN
Executive Director, MAP Development Initiative (MAPDI)
South West Partner, Youth Political Participation (YPP) Electoral Reform Consortium
mapdioffice@mapdi.org
