Ahead of the 2015 General Election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had introduced the idea of voting by Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).
For that reason, a policy and framework designed by the Commission was revised and validated in 2018 for the 2019 General Election.
The same policy was again revised and was presented to stakeholders on Tuesday for review and validation in preparation for the 2023 General Election.
In his speech at an event to revise and validate the framework of voting by IDPs the INEC Chairman Prof Mahmoud Yakubu explained that all eligible voters are provided the rights to excersize their constitutional rights as citizens.
“The idea is to ensure that no eligible Nigerian is left out of the electoral process on account of displacement, disability or other circumstances that may limit citizens’ participation in the electoral process. What is presented to stakeholders today has taken into consideration several developments since the last review and validation exercise in 2018.
“First, is the increased number of IDPs as a result of widespread insecurity nationwide. Secondly, to incorporate not only the displaced citizens arising from armed conflicts but also natural emergencies such as flooding. Thirdly, to align the framework with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, specifically Section 24(1) which empowers the Commission to ensure that, as far as practicable, no Nigerian is disenfranchised on account of displacement by emergency situations. Finally, to align the framework with the national policy on internally displaced persons 2021”, Yakubu stated.
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