Art in Heart Gallery empowers IDPs with skills during an outreach event in Abuja. | Credit: Art in Heart Gallery

The European Union has backed efforts to remove barriers preventing Internally Displaced Persons from participating in Nigeria’s electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The EU, through its Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme, supported a two-day stakeholder engagement organised by TAF Africa in Abuja on August 25 and 26 to examine how displaced Nigerians could be better integrated into the electoral process.

According to a statement released by the EU on Saturday, the meeting brought together officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, the National Emergency Management Agency, State Emergency Management Agencies, civil society organisations and leaders of internally displaced communities.

The statement titled “EU backs efforts to improve electoral inclusion of Nigeria’s displaced citizens ahead of 2027,” said the engagement focused on the implementation of INEC’s framework for “voting by internally displaced persons and efforts to address barriers preventing displaced Nigerians from exercising their right to vote.”

The engagement came as preparations for the 2027 elections intensified, with INEC having concluded the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise in July and commenced the cleaning and auditing of the voter register ahead of the polls.

Speaking at the engagement, Senior Communications Officer at TAF Africa, Jennifer Dafwat, said the meeting was designed to bring relevant stakeholders together to develop practical solutions to electoral exclusion.

Dafwat said, “today is about building a nation where no voice is left behind. In this room, we’re here to tackle the issue of electoral exclusion of persons with disabilities.”

She added that the engagement provided an opportunity for stakeholders to develop solutions capable of making Nigeria’s democracy more inclusive.

“We have the voices necessary to ideate, identify, and produce solutions necessary for promoting an inclusive Nigeria,” she said.

Many have been separated from their communities of origin by insurgency, banditry and other emergencies and may face difficulties accessing voter registration services, collecting their Permanent Voter Cards or travelling to the locations where they are registered.

An IDP camp chairman in Borno State, John Gwamma, highlighted the security implications of requiring displaced persons to return to their communities of origin to vote.

“We have to travel down from Maiduguri to Gaza. But on the way to Gaza to vote, there’s a very big challenge ahead of us,” Gwamma said, recalling how Boko Haram ambushed travellers on the Bama Road during the 2023 election.

He said the situation could particularly affect elderly displaced persons who would struggle to undertake long journeys to their places of origin.

The acting Director-General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Yagana Abadam, urged INEC to consider arrangements that would enable displaced residents to vote from their current locations.

“We are appealing: if INEC can create a polling booth for our ward so we can vote here in Maiduguri,” she said.

Director of the Gender and Inclusivity Department at INEC, Lakunuya Bello, welcomed the engagement, saying collaboration among electoral authorities, civil society groups and emergency management agencies could strengthen advocacy for IDP participation.

“This initiative is very wonderful, and we are hoping that with this engagement, things will improve more.

“The EU-backed engagement comes at a critical stage in Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 elections, with stakeholders pushing for greater inclusion of vulnerable groups in the electoral process.”

The engagement is expected to contribute to a joint roadmap covering voter education, advocacy and practical measures for improving electoral participation among displaced Nigerians.