Do men and women queue together during the elections?
In previous explainers, The Republic explored how voting works in Nigeria; if the elections can be postponed and what the law provides in the case of a candidate’s death before the elections. With just nine days to the tightly contested 2023 presidential elections, voters want to know if men and women queue together to vote.
Nigeria is a multicultural and multi-religious nation, with over 250 ethnic groups and three main religions. As such, there are cultures where women do not interact with men who are not relatives, and where women wear veils or gloves.
Countries like Afghanistan and Ecuador provide separate polling stations or voting processes for women as fingerprints or faces will have to be checked at the polling unit. In Nigeria, the Electoral Act of 2022 provides that where cultural or religious beliefs prohibit the mingling of male and female voters, separate queues will be used for the voting exercise.
S.49 of the Electoral Act provides that;
The Presiding officer shall separate the queue between men and women if in that area of the country the culture is such that it does not permit the mingling of men and women in the same queue.
Do you have any questions regarding the 2023 elections? If so, now is your chance to get some answers, courtesy of The Republic.
Please leave any questions you have in the comments below or email us at [email protected]. Our editors will answer your questions ahead of the 2023 elections.
Remember, there are no ‘dumb questions’!⎈
Recommended Reading
Here are some Republic articles to read for more context on the 2023 General Elections:
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