Pat Utomi, political economist, Femi Falana, senior lawyer, and Kennedy Iyer, social advocate, have unveiled the Nigerian Youth and Women Political Emancipation Movement (NYWOPEM) and formally launched the #FixNASS2027 citizen campaign in Lagos.
The unveiling, organized by the Youth Off the Street Initiative (YOTSI), brought together stakeholders from political platforms, civil society, youth groups, religious bodies and women-led organisations.
Speaking at the event, Iyer, who is also the founder and movement convener of YOTSI, 40Million Ballots Movement, said NIYWOPEN was conceived in response to the persistent under-representation of youth and women in governance despite their voter turnout at over 60 per cent.
Iyer said that while young people and women constitute a significant portion of registered voters, their representation in the National Assembly and other alternative political positions is comparatively low.
He said this imbalance has limited inclusive policy making and weakened public accountability.
According to Iyer, NIYWOPEM seeks to provide an integrated electoral engagement platform through which youths and women can network politically to elect themselves into political offices and also ensure that their voting power is well utilized in deciding the winners of elections in Nigeria, thereby implementing responsible leadership that compels accountable governance through democratic means.
At the event, the group also launched “#FixNASS2027”, a national political sensitization campaign and grassroots voter mobilization movement supported by both ordinary Nigerians and relevant elites alike, which aims to help provide an integrated peer-to-peer electoral engagement, networking, sensitization and mass mobilization platform where voters, especially youths and women, can vote for legislative offices in the federal and state in 2027. Will be able to unite themselves (join forces). level, and also help other credible and patriotic Nigerians win legislative seats by replacing those currently in office who have shown lack of independence, functionality, patriotism and respect for voters by refusing to approve electronic transmission of results in the new Electoral Act Bill, which is exactly what every Nigerian desires.
“The need to establish functional Nigerian federal and state legislatures, driven by the people, demands the launch of #FixNASS2027, and for what we have done today, our gratitude goes to Professor Pat Utomi and Femi Falana (SAN) for the role they have played as key patrons of this movement. It is time for Nigerian youths and women to reverse the political dominance of the elite by using their voting power as a tool”, Iyer said.
Iyer described the initiative as a call for political awakening, urging Nigerians to strategically deploy their voting power to demand performance and transparency from lawmakers.
He clarified that the movement is not affiliated with any political party, adding that its focus is on identifying and supporting individuals of exemplary ability and potential, regardless of party platform.
He said potential legislative candidates supported by the movement would have to commit to written social contracts to ensure accountability.
Aiyar called on Nigerians to put more pressure on their senators and Federal House of Assembly members for unconditional approval of real-time electronic transmission of results as demanded by Nigerians.
He confirmed that many civil society groups have been bought off by politicians, so they have decided not to put too much pressure on their political paymasters. Iyer said #FixNASS2027 will provide a legitimate and peaceful civic platform where advocacy and activism for passing new electoral laws will be taken to the homes and constituencies of members of the current 10th National Assembly.
He emphasized that the activities of the movement will be non-violent and based on constitutional rights.
Falana called on the National Assembly to immediately amend the Electoral Act to mandate electronic transmission of election results from polling units to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) central server.
Falana said the demand has become necessary following the 2023 general elections and subsequent Supreme Court decisions which said electronic transmission of results was optional under the existing law.
On his part, Professor Pat Utomi said the formal launch of NIYWOPEN and FixNASS2027 signals the beginning of sustained mobilization efforts aimed at strengthening democratic participation and expanding opportunities for youth and women in Nigeria’s political landscape.
Utomi reinforced the call for mandatory electronic transmission, dismissing arguments about network limitations as unfounded.
Utomi said that once the polling unit results are captured electronically, they can be uploaded when connectivity is available, making network concerns insufficient to cause the system to drop. He compared the process to digital banking platforms widely used throughout Nigeria, arguing that similar technology has proven reliable in financial transactions.
He warned lawmakers against actions that could undermine election credibility, saying that history would judge harshly any efforts to maintain processes that enable manipulation.
