Nigeria students must vote, tweeps lament disenfranchisement moves

As the general election approaches, many Nigerians on Twitter are expressing their concerns and protesting against alleged efforts to disenfranchise university students. This outcry appears to be a response to a front-page headline from a national newspaper stating, “Elections: 3.5m students won’t vote.” In light of this, Twitter users are urging the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other unions in tertiary institutions to declare a holiday, allowing students to return home to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and participate in the elections.

Using the hashtag #Nigeriastudentsmustvote, along with a viral image featuring the same message, many tweeps are criticizing ASUU for its eight-month strike in 2022, which lasted from February 14 to October 14, leaving Nigerian universities closed. They argue that despite this lengthy strike, ASUU has not taken steps to facilitate students’ ability to vote. One Twitter user, @firstladyship, emphasized the significance of student voters, stating, “26 million registered voters are students. They registered at home during the 8 months ASUU strike. The managements of universities in Nigeria should allow students to go home before the election. Students should be with their parents during that period. A two-week break will do.”

Another user, @dreyinker, asserted, “There is no Nigeria without the students… They must be allowed to participate in deciding their next leader.” Similarly, @Jay_1883 pointed out that Lagos State had declared a three-day holiday for state workers to collect their PVCs, urging universities to do the same. He suggested that if universities do not declare a break, students should leave school without needing permission, stating, “Forfeit whatever needs to be forfeited and vote wisely.”

User @efe_mills lamented, “Those years of the Greatest Nigerian Students are gone. If not, who born monkey for students to be at home for eight months, registered to vote yet can’t because schools are open and they can’t collect their PVCs? If this is the game plan, then it will have collateral damage on the outcome of the election.” Addressing ASUU, @rectocriuz wrote, “Dear ASUU, no need for an emergency meeting. Just suspend school for the month of February. Let all students go and get their PVCs and vote! This is but a little price to be paid for a better Nigeria.”

Concerns about wasted votes were echoed by @DrDodiey, who stated, “Millions of votes about to be wasted. Nigeria students must vote.” @Morris_Monye expressed sadness over the situation, noting, “Sad that Nigerian students won’t be voting in this election. Almost 4 million just like that.” In response, @Iykonic shared their own challenges, saying, “It’s not easy like that. I school in the East, but I stay in the North. I did PVC there during the ASUU strike. It won’t be easy going back to vote because of the distance. Also, for Lagosians in my school, there are a lot of them. Transport fare to Lagos now from the East is around 20k.”

Another user, @abelgifted48, highlighted their difficulties, stating, “For some of us, it is impossible to vote. I school in Minna (Niger State) and my polling unit is in Makurdi (Borno State), which is about a 7 to 8-hour journey. To make it worse, I have an exam on Friday before the presidential election and on Monday the next week. This is totally wrong. I really want to vote, but I can’t…”

Recognizing the importance of the upcoming election, @UkomahM tweeted, “Due to the distance of the schools from their homes, students need 2-3 weeks to be home, pick their PVCs, locate their various polling units, and vote! This is the most important election, not just in Nigeria, but in the whole of Africa.” Many other Twitter users have joined the call for tertiary institutions to suspend academic activities, advocating for students to travel home and participate in the forthcoming elections, with hashtags and visuals circulating widely.