CALL FOR MEMORANDUM: Youth Public Hearing on Electoral Reform

…Building Youth Agenda for 2015

Background

Following the conclusion of the 2011 elections the Executive and the National Assembly expressed their intent to reform the electoral process to address the challenges identified during the elections and the subsequent gubernatorial elections so far organized by INEC in 2012. This commitment is demonstrated by the constitution of the Senate Committee on INEC and House Committee on Electoral Matters. The chairman of INEC, Prof Attahiru Jega has been quoted several times by the media as saying that the commission is undertaking some reforms to improve the electoral process before the conduct of the 2015 elections. This provides a very unique opportunity for young people and other stakeholders to engage the process by making demands that not only safeguards their participation in the electoral process but guarantees the proper administration of elections in Nigeria.

In exercise of her mandate, the National Assembly intends to begin the process of electoral reform by amending the Electoral Act to regulate election management in Nigeria. In the spirit of proactive and collaborative citizens action coupled with the ardent need to achieve far reaching electoral reforms before the 2015 elections, civil society groups under the auspices of Youth Alliance on Constitution & Electoral Reform YACORE (a youth coalition of over 50 youth organizations), Partners for Electoral Reform PER (a civil society coalition comprising Transition Monitoring Group TMG, Nigerian Bar Association NBA, Trade Union Congress TUC, Justice Devt and Peace Commission JDPC, Federation of Women Associations in Nigeria FOMWAN, Centre for Public Policy & Leadership Devt CPALD FACE-PAM and YAIA) and National Youth Movement on Constitution Review MYMCR (a coalition of youth CSOs) resolved to engage in proactive electoral reform advocacy. The cardinal objectives of the public hearing are;

1. Facilitate citizen’s inputs in the electoral reform process to foster proper election administration in Nigeria before the 2015 elections.

2. To harmonize youth voices on electoral reform and produce it in a Nigerian Youth Charter on Electoral Reform.

3. Build synergies and create unified platforms where young people and civil society actors can discuss and advocate issues around electoral reforms.

4. Promote civic and voter education through engagement in advocacy for electoral reform.

In furtherance of these objectives the partners constituted a panel that will preside over the 1^st Youth Public Hearing on Electoral. Members of the panel are;

• Chika Oduah
• Ezenwa Nwagwu
• Echezona Asuzu
• Atoye Aristotle
• Nkiru Nnaemogo
• Bukhari Mohammed Bello Jega

Invitation to Submit Memorandum

We invite young Nigerians, youth civil society organizations, youth in political parties, student bodies, interest groups, youth leaders and members of the general public to submit short and concise memoranda on the issues listed hereunder and any other matter (s) that will improve the administration of elections in Nigeria and require amendment to the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010;

1. Enhancing the participation of Youth, Women and persons with disabilities in the electoral process
   1. Independence of Independent National Electoral Commission
   2. Establishment of Electoral Offences Tribunal
   3. Regulation and Registration of Political parties
   4. Independence Candidature
   5. Voting rights for Nigerian’s in diaspora
   6. Voting rights for election day workers eg. election observers, security agencies
   7. Electronic Voting System
   8. Abolishing of staggered elections

The panel will preside over a Public hearing scheduled to hold on Wednesday 18^th Febuary 2013 to avail citizens the opportunity to make oral presentations. The outcome of the public hearing will be galvanized into a report that shall form the basis of the publication of a Nigerian Youth Charter on Electoral reforms that would be used for electoral reform advocacy in the National Assembly.

How to send Memoranda

Kindly send hardcopies or electronic copies of memorandum on or before Friday 15^th Febuary 2013.  Oral presentations on the day of the public hearing will be scheduled according to memoranda submitted to the secretariat before the date of the public hearing. Memoranda and other correspondences to the Panel should be addressed to the following:

Hardcopy submission should be forwarded to;

YACORE & PER Secretariat

35, S O Williams Crescent, Anthony Enahoro Street, Utako – Abuja    OR

NYMCR Secretariat

c/o Alliance for Credible Elections Jima Plaza, Area 11, Abuja

Electronic submissions should be sent to secretariat@wethepeopleconstitution.org or nymcr@yahoo.com

Tel: 08035939886, 08035638962, 08033155229,

Follow us on Twitter: @YACORE #youthpublichearing

Signed:

Samson Itodo Esq.

For YACORE, PER and NYMCR