By Eunice Nnachi, Yenagoa
Youth leaders, civil society organisations, and electoral reform advocates have intensified demands for comprehensive reforms in Nigeria’s electoral and legal systems, following a town hall meeting on youth‑led electoral reform held in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State.
The engagement, organised by the Fringe Voices Development Foundation in partnership with the YPP Electoral Reform Consortium, brought together young people, civic educators, party representatives, and governance experts to examine persistent barriers limiting youth participation in governance.
Executive Director of Fringe Voices, Tare Maureen, stressed that empowering young people with civic knowledge remains central to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic foundations. She noted that democracy thrives when citizens understand how institutions work and acquire the capacity to influence governance processes. “The quality of political awareness we cultivate today determines the direction of our democracy tomorrow,” she said, calling for structured youth engagement, collaborative platforms, and sustained partnerships between CSOs, political parties, and reform‑focused networks.
YPP Bayelsa Ambassador, John Johnson, explained that many young people appear disengaged not out of apathy but due to limited understanding of political and legal processes. He advocated for simplified civic education tools, school‑based sensitisation programmes, and community dialogues to demystify complex laws.
The meeting opened with goodwill messages from civil society partners, including Chairman of the Bayelsa NGOs Forum (BANGOF), Taritein Boco, who described the event as “an opportunity for collective action, not just another gathering.” He applauded the organisers for sustaining civic conversations and highlighted the urgency of adopting reforms such as the establishment of an Election Petition Resolution Board, an Electoral Offences Commission, and a more transparent system for appointing INEC leadership. “These reforms speak directly to the aspirations of citizens, especially our young people, who remain the heart of democratic renewal,” he said, reaffirming BANGOF’s commitment to evidence‑based advocacy and amplifying citizen voices.
During deliberations, participants from the National Youth Council of Nigeria, the Ministry of Youth Development, and political parties expressed concern over the complex nature of Nigeria’s legal framework, noting that inadequate public understanding continues to weaken electoral credibility. They observed that many Nigerians – particularly young people – lack the civic knowledge required to navigate party processes, protect their rights, or challenge electoral irregularities.
A major issue raised was the exorbitant cost of nomination forms, which participants described as exclusionary and designed to shut out young aspirants. With some forms priced as high as ₦100 million, speakers argued that internal democracy is being undermined by financial barriers that turn party primaries into revenue‑generating ventures.
Participants also criticised the rise of government‑sponsored CSOs and the trend of opposition parties aligning with the ruling party for convenience, warning that such practices erode public trust and weaken democratic accountability.
Head of Research at Fringe Voices, Dr. Stanley Boroh, urged young Nigerians to deepen their civic and legal literacy, stressing that law must serve as “an instrument for positive social engineering.”
The meeting concluded with a consensus on key action points, including coordinated social media campaigns, strategic advocacy visits to lawmakers, and the development of a comprehensive communiqué to guide the next phase of engagement on electoral reform.
