When elections come around in Nigeria, millions of citizens mobilize to help make the process work—yet many of them don’t get to vote.
That’s the problem Senator Abdulaziz Musa Yar’Adua is trying to resolve.
During an advocacy visit to the Director General of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Brigadier General O.O. Nafiu, the senator called attention to the large number of Nigerians—particularly NYSC members, security personnel, and INEC officials—who serve as ad-hoc staff but are unable to cast their votes on election day.
“It’s a painful irony,” Yar’Adua said. “Those helping to ensure free and fair elections are often denied their own right to vote. We lose over a million votes every cycle due to this.”
To address this gap, the senator has proposed an amendment to the Electoral Act that would introduce early voting—a process that would allow eligible individuals to vote up to seven days before the general election.
The Bill Proposes that eligible voters such as corps members, security agents, and electoral officials can apply for early voting, 30 days before the set date.
INEC will set up special early voting centers, and the process will occur within seven days before the general elections.
Senator Yar’Adua emphasized that this model is not new. “Countries like South Africa and Ghana already use early voting. It’s time Nigeria did the same, as the giant of Africa.”
The bill is already gaining traction as Brigadier General Nafiu has expressed strong support, calling it the “NYSC Bill.” He highlighted that NYSC members make up more than half of election-day ad-hoc staff, yet they are among the most disenfranchised.
“This bill would correct a long-standing injustice against young Nigerians serving their country,” he said. “Everyone deserves the right to vote.”
Civil society groups are also backing the proposal. Samson Itodo of Yiaga Africa welcomed the initiative, noting that corps members often take the fall when elections go wrong—even when they’re not allowed to vote.
“We want credible elections. And that starts with ensuring those who support the system also benefit from it,” Itodo said.
With strong endorsements and a growing conversation around electoral inclusiveness, Senator Yar’Adua urged the National Assembly and electoral stakeholders to give the bill the support it needs.
“This is about fairness. It’s about democracy. It’s time we fixed this,” he said.