Political economist Pat Utomi, human rights lawyer Femi Falana (SAN) and humanitarian activist Comrade Kennedy Iyere have unveiled the Nigerian Youths and Women Political Emancipation Movement (NYWOPEM) and formally launched the #FixNASS2027 civic campaign in Lagos.The unveiling, organised by the Youths Off The Street Initiative (YOTSI), drew stakeholders from across political platforms, civil society groups, youth organisations, religious bodies and women-led associations.
Speaking at the event, Iyere, founder of YOTSI and the 40Million Ballots Movement, said NYWOPEM was conceived in response to what he described as the persistent under-representation of youths and women in governance despite their numerical strength, which he estimated at over 60 per cent of the voting population.
According to him, although young people and women constitute a significant proportion of registered voters, their representation in the National Assembly and other elective positions remains comparatively low.
He argued that this imbalance has constrained inclusive policymaking and weakened public accountability. Iyere explained that NYWOPEM seeks to provide a unifying electoral engagement platform through which youths and women can network politically, support one another’s aspirations for public office and effectively deploy their voting power to influence electoral outcomes.
He said the objective is to promote responsible leadership and compel accountable governance through democratic means. At the event, the group also launched #FixNASS2027, described as a national political sensitisation and grassroots voter mobilisation campaign aimed at fostering peer-to-peer electoral engagement.
Iyere said the initiative would encourage youths and women to contest legislative seats at federal and state levels in 2027, while supporting credible candidates committed to transparency and reform. He stated “that the campaign seeks to replace lawmakers who, in the group’s view, have demonstrated a lack of independence and responsiveness, particularly regarding the refusal to approve mandatory electronic transmission of election results in the proposed amendments to the Electoral Act.”
The need to entrench a people-driven and functional Nigerian federal and state legislature calls for the launch of #FixNASS2027, and that is what we have done today. Our gratitude goes to Prof. Pat Utomi and Femi Falana SAN for the roles they have played as key patrons of this movement. It is time for Nigerian youths and women to reverse elite political dominance by using their voting power as a tool,” Iyere said.
He described the initiative as a call for political reawakening and urged Nigerians to strategically deploy their votes to demand performance and transparency from elected officials. Iyere clarified that the movement is not affiliated with any political party, adding that its focus is on identifying and supporting individuals with demonstrable competence and capacity, irrespective of party platforms.
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