2023 Polls: Reps ask FG to shut down schools to allow students to vote

The House of Representatives has asked the federal government to shut down tertiary education institutions to allow students to participate in the general elections.

The House asked the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education, the National Commission for Colleges of Education, and the Federal Ministry of Education to direct all tertiary institutions to suspend academic activities during the period of elections.

Also, the lower chamber resolved that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) should make special arrangements for students to collect their Permanent Voters Cards (PVC).

These resolutions followed the adoption of a motion moved by Ibrahim Tukura (APC, Kebbi) on Thursday during plenary.

The presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for 25 February, while the governorship and Houses of Assembly are billed for 11 March.

Moving the motion, Mr Tukura said 3.8 million of the newly registered voters are students, accounting for “40.8 per cent of the total number of newly registered voters.”

He added that “these students who constitute 40.8 per cent of the newly registered voters, have their polling units sited in states outside their campuses, thereby necessitating travelling outside their respective institutions to vote in the 2023 elections.”

Mr Tukura said the mode of distribution of the PVCs also affects students. He, therefore, called for a special PVC collection for students.

“The students are busy with academic activities and the Independent National Electoral Commission is engaged in distributing PVCs at the wards across the 774 Local Government Areas of the federation which deprives students of the opportunity to collect their PVCs,” he said.

Consequently, the House directed the Committees on Tertiary Education and Electoral Matters to liaise with the agencies to facilitate the process and report back to the House within one week.

When it was put to question by Speaker Femi Gbajabiamila, the lawmakers voted overwhelmingly in support of the motion.