elections approach, various youth groups in the country have expressed readiness
to effect generational power shift, sending a signal to old politicians that
they would be disgraced in the forthcoming elections.
Latching on to
former President, Chief Olusegun Obasanjo’s call lon youths to democratically
wrest power from old politicians, they said older generation of politicians
should give them a chance or the youths would utilize their numerical straight
to vote them out of office.
they participate in politics. We constitute 65 or 70 per cent of votes in the
country and we will ensure that our votes go to ensure that we have order in
this country. We will disgrace them in 2019. We will make sure they are
massively embarrassed.“
week, said since the old guards are unwilling to quit the stage and would not
give leadership positions to the youths on a platter of gold, it was high time
the youths picked the gauntlet.
“Nobody will choose you; you have to
choose yourself. Why can’t you become president at the age 40? Why can’t you
become president at the age of 35?
Why can’t you become president at the
age of 30? General Gowon became Head of State at 33. I became Head of State at
39. And it is because of my track record. But how are you prepared? Are you
really prepared?” he challenged the youths.
Expressing youths’ readiness
for the challenge, Yerima said, “The likes of Obasanjo should go back to their
homes and relax and be ready to offer useful advice when necessary to younger
generation of leaders, on technical matters on governance. We will learn some
lessons from their history, but we would not work in line with what they did
during their tenure.”
Ohanaeze Youth Leader, Chukwuma Okparaezeukwu, in a
similarly vein, said the youths feel greatly challenged by the call. “We are not
only challenged, but highly encouraged, motivated and feel reawakened.
It
is a call for a positive, diplomatic and sustainable revolution. It must not be
the regular revolution that comes by force or bloodshed, but one that comes with
strategy, raising youth’s consciousness and participation.
“However, as
much as we feel highly motivated by former President Obasanjo’s statement, we
the youths must wake up and embrace our responsibility because this is our
time.
Otherwise, the next generation will vilify us the way we do the
older generation today.
“You see, for now, some of the youths have
allowed themselves to be used by the current crop of politicians to dish out
hate speeches which polarise the youth groups across the country. But we will
narrow this gap in the current reawakening towards the current move in order to
work strategically and work in unity towards the goal.”
Also, Protem
National Chairman, Alliance for New Nigeria, (ANN) a political association
seeking Independent National Electoral Commission’s registration, Dr. Jay Osi
Samuels, said, “The statement is not only appropriate but timely, because we,
the youths, can no longer wait for them to give power to us, rather we are
stepping out to grab it from them.”
He said the declaration was in tandem
with the “objectives for the ANN, “because we are creating a credible platform
apart from all the other platforms that are being managed by the older
politicians.
That platform is what we will use to actualize our goals of
grabbing power from the old generation. It is a movement being created for the
new leaders of Nigeria. Samuels, a Harvardtrained medical doctor, said the
youths have the numerical advantage. “Potentially, we have the bigger
number.
I mean the youths constitute majority of the eligible voting age
in Nigeria, but what we have witnessed over the years have led to loss of faith
in the political system in Nigeria, but what we are going about to let people
know is that they cannot just despair, they cannot lose hope, that there is a
light at the end of the tunnel and if we put our acts together, we can
collectively take over the reins of power from these older generation of
leaders.
Reminded of the role Obasanjo played in the election of Buhari,
who is among the older generation politicians, he said: “We are not relying on
any past leader… We are not relying on anybody, what we are doing is that we
want to show that with or without them, we can do it by ourselves.
us. So we are taking the bull by the horns, with or without their support, we
are going to achieve our aim.”
Mr. Gbadabo Rhodes- Vervor, a youth in his
early 30s who contested for the chairmanship in Ikeja Local Government in Lagos
State, recently on the platform of the KOWA Party, scoring less than 1,000
votes, said “We, as a generation, need to get more involved, not just on
whatssapp groups or on other social media, but in our communities and people in
our wards….political participation is not just about running, political
participation is diverse.
“Youths can either contest or sponsor political
party/candidates whom they believe in their ideals. They must also join a
political party and be active and most importantly register to vote for folks
they believe in on election day.”
communities so that they can become influencers.
and Tai Anyanwu]
