In what has been described as an attempt to legalise child marriage in Nigeria, the country’s legislative has announced a proposed election act amendment that would recognise married underage girls as eligible voters. Nigeria’s constitution currently pegs the eligible age for voting at 18.

The announcement was made by National Assembly Joint Committee on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in December 2020. Speaking at the inauguration of a technical committee set to work on new electoral acts proposed by federal lawmakers, Kabiru Gaya, Chairman of the Senate Committee on INEC, said the recommendation is a unanimous decision by the joint panel. “The joint committee has proposed that if a lady who is not up to 18 years is married, she should be considered to be mature enough and be eligible to vote,” Gaya said.

INEC’s Response

Also in attendance at the inaugural session of the technical panel was INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu who revealed that the proposal had not been officially submitted to the election body. Yakubu, however, expressed doubts over its chances, stating that the country already had a constitutional age for marriage, which is 18 years.

Pushback from Lawmakers

Responding to INEC’s stance on the issue, Aisha Dukku, Chairperson of the House of Representative Committee on INEC, demanded that the recommendation be looked at and treated as important. “We should look at it and come up with something instead of throwing it away. It is not from us but the stakeholders on the day of the public hearing held in the 8th assembly,” she said.

Child Marriage In Nigeria Is Already A Major Issue

The issue of child marriage is an endemic problem in Nigeria as of today. Despite the works of several organisations at curbing the problem, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) said two years ago that 30 percent of Nigerian girls between the ages of 15 and 19, who should still be in school, are currently married. UNESCO also added that only 14 percent of girls from low-class families in the country complete primary school.

While northern Nigeria seems to have more numbers when it comes to child marriage in Nigeria and out of school girls, the Senate and House of Representative comprise of a mixture of zones and areas from West to East. The loud silence on the part of lawmakers (who do not represent the north of Nigeria), is telling, and reiterates the selfish nature of Nigeria’s elites which places them first, and also reveals their complacency in aiding situations that affects the general masses as long as they are not directly affected.

Compounding an already difficult challenge and a blatant infringement on human and child rights, lowering the voting age to accommodate child brides inadvertently provides legal backing for the nefarious act.

This story is part of our new series on Nigeria where we analyse electoral and political reform in the country ahead of the next general elections in 2023.