Youth leaders from across the South East region have called on the National Assembly to expedite action on key electoral reforms as Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general elections.
The demand was contained in a communique issued at the end of the South East Youth Town Hall on Youth Political Participation and the Electoral Reform Project, held on 3 December 2025 at Rock View Hotels, Owerri.
The engagement, convened by the Better Community Life Initiative, a member of the Youth Political Participation Consortium, brought together representatives of fifty four youth organisations across the region.
Participants examined the shortcomings of the 2023 general elections, which they described as marred by irregularities, malpractice and operational failures, and collectively endorsed a set of positions to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral integrity.
The communique acknowledged the ongoing efforts by the Youth Political Participation Consortium to advance amendments to the 2022 Electoral Act. The consortium is advocating three top reform priorities: the reform of the process for selecting INEC leadership, the resolution of all pre-election cases before inauguration, and the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission.
With these proposals already before the National Assembly Committee on Electoral Reform, the youths urged federal lawmakers to pass the reforms before proceeding on Christmas and New Year holidays.
They added that, at the latest, the reforms should be concluded in early January 2026 to enable the President to sign them into law, thereby allowing INEC to commence preparations for the 2027 elections under an improved legal framework.
The communique insisted that the compulsory electronic transmission of results from polling units to the INEC portal on election day must be made legally binding to eliminate ambiguity and build trust.
It also urged INEC to begin prosecuting perpetrators of electoral malpractice during the 2023 elections to serve as a deterrent and to reassure especially first time voters and young people that the system can be trusted.
Participants encouraged youths to take active part in political and electoral processes, stressing that credible leadership would not emerge if young citizens remained passive.
They advocated constructive resistance to electoral manipulation and emphasised that the collective voice of people committed to fairness and good governance could overwhelm those intent on subverting the process.
The youths noted that poor performance by elected leaders undermines public confidence in elections, warning that failure to justify the mandates they hold discourages voter turnout and affects electoral outcomes.
They called for comprehensive reforms in the army and police ahead of the 2027 polls, citing concerns about corruption and operational inefficiency in institutions that support election management.
Strong criticism was directed at INEC over alleged voter disenfranchisement in parts of the South East under the guise of insecurity, while similarly affected states in other regions were not subjected to the same restrictions.
The communique stated that such selective treatment was unacceptable and accused the electoral body of partisanship.
To ensure a level playing field, participants demanded that all incumbents seeking re-election should resign once INEC declares the commencement of the campaign season.
They argued that state resources and facilities have often been unfairly deployed to favour incumbents at the expense of opponents.
The youths reaffirmed that credible and transparent elections are central to the message of democracy, urging all stakeholders, including women, persons with disabilities and civil society actors, to play their roles in promoting electoral integrity.
They also expressed concern that some politicians have already begun campaigning fourteen months before the 2027 elections, in violation of the Electoral Act.
They called on INEC to immediately commence prosecution of such offenders.
In the conclusion of the communique, participants emphasised that the strength of any democracy is determined by the transparency of its electoral process. They urged that all electoral reform proposals before the National Assembly be treated with urgency to ensure significant improvement in the next election cycle and to restore trust among young Nigerians.
The communique was jointly signed by Ms. Tochi Esinulo of Mbaitolu Youth Vanguard, Mr. Chukwudi Nwosuagwu of Ubakala Union League, Umuah
ia South, and Mr. Basil Ejigni of BECOLIN.
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