By Ayo Ayodele
The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Professor Nentawe Yilwatda, has identified election-day workers as a major but often overlooked factor behind low voter turnout in Nigeria.
Speaking at the first quarterly meeting of registered political party leaders and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Commission’s national headquarters in Abuja, Yilwatda said thousands of eligible voters are effectively disenfranchised during elections because of the critical roles they play in safeguarding the process.
According to him, INEC ad-hoc staff, security personnel, journalists, civil society observers, medical workers and other support staff deployed on election day are unable to cast their votes, despite being legally entitled to do so.
“These citizens are later counted among those blamed for voter apathy, even though their absence from polling units is a direct consequence of national service,” Yilwatda said.
He described the situation as a contradiction that requires urgent policy attention, particularly on the long-debated issue of early voting, which he said could help accommodate election-day workers without undermining the integrity of the process.
Responding, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, acknowledged that early voting has been considered as part of electoral reforms but said it presents serious operational and cultural challenges.
Amupitan explained that although the Electoral Bill was largely completed before he assumed office, early voting stood out as one reform that could potentially address the concerns of election-day workers. However, he warned that allowing votes to be cast early and stored until general election day could expose the system to abuse and manipulation.
He cautioned that such a system might erode public trust, raising fears that “huge votes could suddenly appear from somewhere.”
The INEC Chairman also pointed to Nigeria’s electoral culture, noting that voters strongly prefer real-time voting and counting, where results are seen as they emerge. Until a system that commands absolute public confidence is established, he said, early voting would remain difficult to implement.
Amupitan further highlighted the financial implications of conducting nationwide elections in a single day, explaining that it would require nearly double the current volume of electoral materials. He said the existing staggered process allows for the reuse of some equipment, helping to manage costs.
Yilwatda, in his concluding remarks, urged Nigeria to confront the issue honestly, stressing the need to balance inclusivity, credibility, cost and electoral culture in order to strengthen democracy and ensure that no citizen is excluded from voting because of service to the nation.
The statement was signed by Abimbola Tooki, Special Adviser to the APC National Chairman on Media and Communications Strategy.