The crucial role the Zambian youth population played in the victory of the opposition leader, Hakainde Hichilema over the then incumbent Edgar Lungu in the recently concluded presidential election, perhaps, underscores the growing influence of youths towards electoral success across Africa.
In Zambia, those below the age of 40 constitute more than half of the electorate. Hichilema won their support after receiving their backing to erase years of oppression, unemployment, hunger and economic crisis.
As Nigeria is moving towards another round of general election in 2023, the Zambia story perhaps, should serve as a springboard and wake up call for Nigeria’s teeming youths who form the bulk of the voting population that with a united front the desired change could be made in the leadership of Nigeria.
The Nigerian youths are passionate, energetic and enthusiastic, and amid the leadership quagmire bedeviling the country, there is an increased yearning for the youth to galvanise themselves and form a united front in 2023 to challenge the ugly narrative.
Perhaps, last year’s #EndSARS protests against police brutality in the country showed the resolve of the teeming youth in Nigeria to galvanise themselves and drive the needed political change and demand for good governance.
Read Also: Nigeria’s 2023 election and the challenge from Zambia
For many, apart from their numbers, and energy, Nigerian youths’ ingenuity in the use of social media and digital medium to organise and stage the protests showed not only social and political awareness but creativity and alignment with global trend of democratic civil disobedience to effect political and social change that must be sustained ahead 2023.
While the usual norm in recent decades is that prior to elections, youths are recognised as important for successful elections and discarded when elections are over. Thus, promises made by political elite to the youth while engaging them during electioneering are not often fulfilled and all the hopes and dreams of these youngsters for a better life through participatory governance are dashed as politicians move on with their lives having ‘used’ the youths for their selfish motives.
The situation appears to be changing. Figures from an election observer group, Youth Initiative for Advocacy, Growth and Advancement (YIAGA Africa), shows that there was significant improvement in the number of youths who participated in the 2019 general election compared to previous elections.
The group had revealed that youth candidacy participation in the Senate and House of Representatives elections had significantly increased from 10 and 13 percent in 2015 to 13.5 and 27.4 percent respectively, in 2019.
Perhaps, the signing into law of the #NotTooYoungToRun bill in May 2018 aided that progress, offering a chance. There were large numbers of young Nigerian professionals who ventured into partisan politics; they had some level of popularity in some parts of the country and in the media.
So, there was hope that perhaps, that third force party would emerge to challenge the dominance of the two main political parties in Nigeria. That challenge, however, fizzled out when it matters most, failing to make any meaningful impact.
Political watchers have stressed that to have a paradigm shift in Nigeria, there must be a synergy among like-minds, a convergence on a common ground, and a strong and formidable union, by exceptional young Nigerians across the country.
Though pundits have also ridiculed these young politicians for hoping to win election even when they lacked a political base and structure to support their aspiration at the grassroots, others are of the view that the lack of cohesion among the candidates was a major hindrance that must be resolved going forward.
Such was the case, in 2019 when the youth presidential candidates under the Presidential Aspirants Coming Together (PACT) could not agree on a candidate among Sowore, Mogulalu and Durotoye on who would fly the presidential ticket. The alliance subsequently collapsed and the presidential candidates stood for election on the platform of different political parties.
“It is glaring that it is a united youth front that could achieve any meaningful system change in 2023. And, I am sure that the current political class is happy with divided youths because they can only continue their maladies and economic exploitation in a situation where the youth and productive age grades are divided.
“A united youth front would systematically take over the control of scarce resources and the economic system from the gerontocrats if they strategically mobilise and build consciousness ahead of 2023. A good example is the #EndSARS protest that was organised by the united youth.
“The gerontocrats have exploited the system to the extent that rebuilding the society would take more energy, strategy and restructuring. And this can’t be achieved by a replacement of the current political class with same set of political class whose administratively psychology is about exploitation, human rights abuse, prebendalism, klotocracy and disdain for the rule of law”, political analyst, Kunle Okunade said.
Amid the leadership crisis trailing Nigeria and with the 2023 general election fast approaching the need to have an all-inclusive governance structure that could guarantee the prospects and engagement of youths in nation-building with a view to changing the country’s narrative have been brought to the fore.
However, observers have expressed fear that such a dream may just be a mirage if some of the issues that hindered their pact in 2019 are allowed to resurface.
Mark Adebayo, politician and Spokesman of Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) said the prevalent state of the country had warranted the need for formidable youth alliance to challenge the status quo in 2023, but expressed doubt if such would become a reality.
According to him, “Definitely they are not united as they should at the moment as they should at all, or let me say they are not organised in a way that could threaten the status quo of leadership decadence in the country.
“I suspect that the way state agents were used to infiltrate the #ENDSARS movement that ended in unprecedented arson, widespread looting and murders seriously demoralised the youths.
“They must aggregate the same level of energy that powered the #ENDSARS movement and translate it to a formidable political movement that could produce a youth-oriented government in 2023. Unfortunately, I’m not seeing the signs of that happening yet and 2023 is around the corner.
“They may have to start organising towards 2027 because I doubt very much if they can still rally enough numbers and the organisation required to make a significant impact in 2023. The political vultures are already positioning themselves and setting structures to pass the baton to themselves in 2023. The only saving grace would be for them to organise en mass around a young political office holder who has the financial and structural wherewithal to clinch power.
“This country is in desperate need of youthful leadership in order to activate a comprehensive redirection of Nigeria from the steady gaits towards state failure. The younger generations must step in now! Hopefully, they will act in time by coming together to form a formidable political platform that can change the equation decisively in 2023”.
Meanwhile, Kehinde Kayode, youth leader and gender advocate advocated for a thorough proper political education across the country which firstly must begun with the young population obtaining their Permanent Voters Card, stressing that youths apathy in the electoral process in Nigeria must be tackle if stakeholders are serious about changing the narrative ahead 2023.
“If we must challenge the status quo, we must begin with a proper orientation of ourselves throughout the nook and cranny of Nigeria, leaving out no state. And this should be simultaneous with ensuring that all eligible youths to vote obtain their PVC. Political education and assemblies that resonate with the demands of the youths in an orderly/lawful manner cannot be over-emphasized.
According to her, “As a Nigerian youth, I believe we have the chance come 2023, but not with the momentum that I can see & feel. If we must challenge the status quo, we must begin with a proper orientation of ourselves throughout the nook and cranny of Nigeria, leaving out no state. And this should be simultaneous with ensuring that all eligible youths to vote obtain their PVC.
“Political education and assemblies that resonate with the demands of the youths in an orderly/lawful manner cannot be over-emphasised. We must be determined that come 2023, we cannot settle for less! Aside from all of these, Nigerian youths as a collective group must refuse to be used as tools for the continuous reign of seat-tight politicians”.
Some analysts also lamented the absence of courage and interest in politics among the youth.
Speaking with BusinessDay, Eric Amah, a psychologist, said that most of the Nigerian youths were only interested in playing “servant” role to politicians for daily bread instead of aspiring to be on the driving seat themselves.
“I have looked at many youths of Nigeria; they are comfortable playing thuggery role for politicians. As long as these politicians give them peanuts on a regular basis, they are satisfied. Something is wrong with that mindset that has kept the country and majority of citizens in bondage,” Amah said.
In his published article a few days ago, titled, ‘A Nation of Idiots’, Tola Adeniyi pointed out the generation suffering the most are still waiting for the elderly or those who have even died having played their own parts.
He said: “I should remind the people in their 20s and 30s that they are the ones whose present and future are being trampled upon. It is they, more than any other idiots in the idiots’ country, that are having their lives and the lives of their children ruined by the massive stealing going on in the country today. And they should know that throughout history it is only people under age 35 who initiate and lead revolutions.”
Adeniyi wondered aloud: “How is a country the size of Nigeria with all her resources not able to supply ordinary electricity to her citizens? Imagine the billions of Naira lost daily because of lack of power. Imagine the number of industries that have closed down. Imagine the multiplying effects of lack of electricity on the nation’s security and social/economic well being. How is a country with all God has given her unable to provide drinking water? Why should Nigeria fail in providing gainful employment to her teeming population? Why should over 20 million children be out of school nationwide?”
Incidentally, the above listed necessities of life are the same things that the politicians will still make their campaign point, to hoodwink the people, twenty-two (22) years after the return of the country to civil rule. The question is, who will bell the cat?
