Elections: Reps Ask FG to Suspend Academic Activities In All Tertiary Institutions

The House of Representatives has directed the National Universities Commission (NUC), National Board for Technical Education (NABTE), National Commission for Colleges of Education (NCCE), and the Ministry of Education to suspend academic activities at all tertiary institutions ahead of the elections.

The lower legislative chamber said this will enable students to travel to the areas where their polling units are situated.

The green chamber also asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to make special arrangements for students to collect their PVCs.

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The resolution was passed at the plenary session on Thursday following the adoption of a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Kabir Ibrahim, a lawmaker representing Zuru/Fakai/Danko-Wasagu/Sakaba federal constituency of Kebbi.

Ibrahim said there are over 2.1 million students currently studying in universities, while over 2.4 million are students in polytechnics, monotechnics, and colleges of education.

He said the academic calendars of various tertiary institutions “are structured in a way that most students are disenfranchised as school calendars do not take into consideration the timelines and date for elections”.

“This lack of flexibility makes it difficult for students to participate in the electoral process,” he said.

The lawmaker said going by INEC figures, 3.8 million of the newly registered voters are students, accounting for 40.8 percent of the total number of newly registered voters.

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