As the awaited 2023 general elections draw nearer, there have been several preparations put in place to have a ‘free and fair’ election and engage Nigerians in ‘participatory democracy’ which allows all and sundry enjoy their rights and privileges as citizens of Nigeria.
The Federal Government has ordered the closure of universities for students to participate in the 2023 general elections, which is considered highly commendable and meritorious as the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), lawmakers and other regulatory bodies have recently asked President Muhammadu Buhari to shut down all tertiary institutions until after the February 25 and March 11 elections.
The closure also includes all inter-university centres. The letter, titled “Ministerial Directive on the Closure of all Universities and Inter University Centres During the Upcoming 2023 General Elections,” was signed by the Deputy Executive Secretary in charge of administration, Chris Maiyaki.
According to the letter dated February 3, the decision followed concerns about the security of staff, students and the universities’ properties during the general elections scheduled from February 25 – March 14. The Commission said the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, gave the directive following consultation with relevant security agencies.
Meanwhile, Nigeria’s National Universities Commission (NUC) gave the directive in a letter addressed to universities’ vice-chancellors and directors.
Without any form of hanky-panky, this would enable undergraduates to travel back to places of residence to exercise their franchise in the February 25 presidential elections.
It must be noted that our tertiary institutions are under the supervision of the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NABTEB), and the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE).
Recall that the Independent National Electoral Commission’s registration exercise in 2022 took place during the prolonged ASUU strike, which means the majority of students must have registered at home.
Unlike other elections that have been done in Nigeria, ‘2023’ will own a new chapter and the outcome will produce leaders who have the character, competence and capacity, or return “the same old politicians who contributed to bringing Nigeria to its present hobbled state.”
The Independent National Electoral Commisssion (INEC) for twice has extended the allotted time to give more opportunities for the collection of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs.
It is now incumbent on the federal government to take executive action to ensure that students who have collected their PVCs are not denied the right to vote.
In time past, the lack of flexibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the management of tertiary institutions have made it difficult and almost impossible for students to participate in the electoral process.
The case is now different for the 2023 elections. This is because, during the continuous voter registration exercise, students were in their various homes due to the prolonged Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) strike and about four million (according to statistics) are registered newly.
Recently, NANS’ vice-president, Akinteye Babatunde stressed that the shutdown would allow students to obtain their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs).
In a bid for FG to close tertiary institutions across Nigeria, NANS said, “Now that we have registered for our PVCs and they have been processed and our tertiary institutions are not considering academic breaks for students during the general elections, despite having knowledge that most students registered outside their campuses, to go and collect our PVCs and have the opportunity to vote.
“This is why we are calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to mandate the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) through the Federal Ministry of Education to shut down all tertiary institutions temporarily until after the general elections in order to allow the Nigerian students (who constitute 40.8 per cent of the newly registered voters across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria) have access to their PVCs and vote for the candidates of their choices in fulfillment of their civic responsibility as patriotic citizens of Nigeria.
“As the leadership of NANS, we cannot sit and watch our school management disenfranchise us with their unfavourable academic calendars that do not take into consideration timelines and dates for election when we know that we have a stake in the turns of things as they will unfold in preceding weeks.
“This is why we are calling on the Federal Government of Nigeria to mandate the National Universities Commission (NUC), the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE), the National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE) through the Federal Ministry of Education to shut down all tertiary institutions temporarily until after the general elections in order to allow the Nigerian students (who constitute 40.8 per cent of the newly registered voters across the 774 local government areas of Nigeria) have access to their PVCs and vote for the candidates of their choice in fulfillment of their civic responsibility as patriotic citizens of Nigeria.
“We hereby urge the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make special arrangements for the students to collect their PVCs in consolidation of the effort of the Federal Government to shut down schools temporarily for students to exercise one of their fundamental human rights – to vote.”
According to reports, students are mostly subject of contact used by unscrupulous politicians to rig elections over the years, adding that such behaviour had led to the untimely death of some of their colleagues, they have been used to cause mayhem during elections.
State (Public) Universities and private universities are also encouraged to emulate the gesture of the federal government to allow students exercise their fundamental human right as this will help reform, reinvigorate and transform Nigeria to what every class of citizens have been expecting.
The closure of the schools would in no small measure boost the turnout at the polls as well as guarantee the safety of the students as they remain under the watch of their parents and guardians. Students have been observed to foment trouble more when they are together in school.