Politics
2015: Youths And Paradigm Shift Demand
L-R: National Conference delegates, Dr A. B. C. Nwosu, Gen. Ike Nwachukwu (rtd) and Musa Elayo, at the conference last Tuesday.
As the movement to
wards the 2015 general elections reaches a crescendo, the citizens are eagerly looking forward towards the election of credible leaders into different positions of authority.
While most citizens pray for the election of trustworthy leaders who will pilot the affairs of the nation in the next four years, Nigerians youths, however, express some reservations.
Some concerned youths note that in previous elections, young Nigerians were only engaged as thugs by some unscrupulous politicians to foment trouble.
They recall that some youths were also used to perpetrate electoral crimes such as ballot boxes’ snatching, harassment of political opponents, as well as riots and other forms of electoral violence.
Although available statistics show that Nigerian youths constitute 43 per cent of the nation’s population, most of the young citizens are largely unemployed and marginalised in the country’s political calculations.
However, the youth have somewhat resolved to rectify the situation in the forthcoming general elections in 2015.
They have vowed to resist the often-recycled retrogressive leaders of the country, while restructuring the nation’s political climate.
Mr Jude Imagwe, the Senior Special Assistant to President Goodluck Jonathan on Youth and Student Matters, says that in 2015, Nigerian youths will brace to their expectations in efforts to transform Nigeria,
He, nonetheless, urges the youth to take advantage of their numerical strength by voting in credible leaders who would facilitate the transformation of the country.
Imagwe insists that through such concerted efforts, peace would reign in the country, while the dream of a better future for Nigerian youths would be achieved.
“Going by our numeral strength, we, the youth, dominate the electorate.
“Let us translate our superiority in numbers into voting in credible leaders who can stimulate the country’s transformation; those who can facilitate the fulfilment of our dreams.
“Above all, let us tell those persons, who feel that the only time we can be called upon is the time of destruction and violence, that enough is enough.
“Let us stop being used as agents of destruction, because the future of Nigeria belongs to our generation; we have more at stake than the older generation that wants to use us to destroy our country.
“So, the elders should allow us to enjoy peace and they give peace a chance,’’ he says.
Sharing similar sentiments, Mr Kenneth Okoineme, a Policy and Campaigns Officer for ActionAid, an international organisation, says that young Nigerians must find a way to redefine the agenda for the country’s development.
He stresses that the youth should use their numerical strength to set the agenda for good governance in Nigeria via their active participation in the country’s political processes, including elections.
“One of the challenges we have as youths is the kind of orientation we have today; we have a lot of young people who are not interested in how the country is being governed.
“We must provide spaces and platforms for the youth to come together and talk about nation-building strategies,’’ he says.
Okoineme says that Actionaid is using a platform known as “Activista’’ — a youth advocate group — to provide opportunities for young people to get together and discuss topical issues in their localities and proffer solutions.
However, Miss Bushrah Yusuf, a journalist, urges the youth to vote rightly and set aside every form of religious and ethnic sentiments in efforts to provoke positive changes in the country.
“We are expecting a positive turnaround in our country’s affairs but we ought to be the agents of change.
“So, we must stand up for the change by voting for the right candidates, irrespective of religious and ethnic sentiments; we must also eschew election violence,’’ she says.
Nevertheless, Mr Danielson Bamidele, the Secretary, Coalition of Nigeria Youths for Good Governance, insists that government and non-governmental organisations should mobilise Nigerian youths to refrain from violence and any form of electoral malpractices in 2015.
He underscores the need for the youth to get involved in intellectual and leadership activities as the 2015 election approaches, instead of being used as thugs.
Bamidele argues youth leaders to channel their energy into worthwhile ventures which would promote the inculcation of leadership qualities in young Nigerians, while grooming them for leadership positions in the country’s state of affairs.
Mrs Cornelia Paul, a 42-year-old school teacher, particularly decries a situation where youths are not encouraged to take up leadership positions in the country even when they are duly qualified for the posts.
“It is unfair, since my days in the primary school, our teachers made us to believe that we were the leaders of tomorrow and we eagerly looked forward to the fulfilment of that prophecy.
“But now, I’m almost a grandmother and my grandfather’s mates are still willing to rule us forever.
“They should please step aside and give the young ones a chance, the youth should at least constitute 30 per cent of the country’s ruling class,’’ she says.
However, Paul is not alone in the calls for more involvement of the youth in the country’s governance.
Dr Mourtada Deme, Project Director, United Nations Development Project (UNDP), made a similar call at a recent national youth conference on Democratic Governance and Development in Abuja,
He particularly urged Nigerian youths to participate in political activities.
While decrying the exploitation of youths by politicians, Deme advised political parties to strengthen youth participation in politics, saying: “Genuine political parties do not need a youth militia wing’’.
On the whole, observers believe that with the right information and environment, young Nigerians can thrive better in the political arena, as partners in the nation-building efforts.
They, nonetheless, note that factors such as unemployment, poverty and educational deficiencies are still militating against youth development aspirations in the country.
“If these factors, among others, are effectively tackled, Nigerian youths will be able to play dominant roles in the nation-building efforts,’’ some of the observers say.
Obande, writes for News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
Kate Obande
Politics
Reps Constitution Review Committee Holds Zonal Hearing For Rivers, C’River, Akwa Ibom In Calabar
A press statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the Cross River State Governor, Mr Linus Obogo, disclosed that the Calabar Centre — designated as Centre B — will host representatives and stakeholders from Cross River, Rivers, and Akwa Ibom States.
The public hearing is scheduled to take place on Saturday, July 19, 2025, at 10:00 a.m. at the Transcorp (Metropolitan) Hotel, Calabar.
The initiative, according to the statement, is designed to promote inclusive dialogue and capture the aspirations of Nigerians from all regions.
It aims to serve as a platform for citizens to contribute meaningfully to the ongoing national efforts to refine and strengthen the country’s legal and institutional frameworks.
“Citizens, civil society groups, professional bodies, traditional rulers, and other interest blocs are invited to participate in this landmark engagement aimed at advancing a more just, equitable, and responsive Nigerian Constitution,” the statement read.
The hearing forms part of the broader review process of the 1999 Constitution (as amended), and is seen as a strategic move toward fostering national unity and addressing structural legal issues within the federation.
For the first time since 2022, when then-presidential aspirant Alhaji Bola Tinubu declared he made former President Buhari Nigeria’s President in 2015, Mr Mustapha dismissed the claims, stressing that the merger only contributed about three million votes in addition to Buhari’s existing 12 million votes in the North.
He insisted that former President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to the breakthrough, not the three million votes from the merging parties, which he described as insignificant.
Speaking on the role of the merging parties, particularly President Tinubu, the leader of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN), Mr Mustapha, who was the keynote speaker at the launch of the book ‘According to the President: Lessons from a Presidential Spokesman’s Experience’ authored by Mallam Garba Shehu, described the impact of the votes from other merging parties as very insignificant.
In attendance were former Head of State Yakubu Gowon, chair of the event; immediate past Vice President Yemi Osinbajo; SGF George Akume, who represented President Tinubu; PDP’s 2023 presidential candidate Atiku Abubakar; former Chief of Staff to Buhari Ibrahim Gambari; elder statesman Babagana Kingibe; former governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Kayode Fayemi (Ekiti), Chris Ngige (Anambra), Rauf Aregbesola (Osun), Raji Babatunde Fashola (Lagos); former ministers Solomon Dalung and Sunday Dare; former Army Chief Tukur Buratai, and Bayo Onanuga, President Tinubu’s spokesman, among others.
According to Mr Mustapha, “I do not intend to stir up any controversy. The merger in 2013 was midwifed to create a Buhari presidency. Let us look at the statistics. In the 2003 election, it was the Obasanjo-Buhari presidential contest where Buhari recorded 12.7 million votes. In 2007, it came to 6.6 million, and it went back to 12.2 million in 2011.
“When we were conceptualising the merger, what would give us a headstart? Obviously, it was at the back of our consciousness that the merger with the Congress for Progressive Change (CPC), though it had only one state, the ACN had six states, ANPP three states, and when you sum up the total votes that we had as the presidency in 2015, the aggregate of the total votes was 15.4 million.
“So, basically, what we brought to the table after the merger outside the Buhari 12.5 million votes was three million. Before turning to that presidency, it is important to recognise the former President’s role in reshaping Nigeria’s political trajectory.
“In early 2013, as the leader of the CPC, Buhari formally requested and supported the creation of a CPC merger committee, part of a broader coalition-building process that brought together the ACN, ANPP, APGA faction, and elements of the ruling party through the breakaway ‘new PDP’ group. His endorsement and participation, along with other party leaders such as President Tinubu and Senator Ali Modu Sheriff, lent credibility and direction to the merger, helping to unify disparate party factions under the banner of the APC. That coalition-building paved the way for the first democratic defeat of an incumbent ruling party in Nigeria’s history.
“President Buhari’s integrity, national stature, and disciplined messaging were central to that breakthrough. No account of President Buhari’s tenure would be complete without acknowledging the extended periods he spent on medical leave. These moments, while politically delicate, were also telling of his leadership philosophy and personality,” he said.
In his remarks, President Tinubu promised to build on the legacies of former President Buhari, stressing that “nation-building is a relay. The efforts of one administration lay the foundation for the next.
“In this regard, I acknowledge the efforts of my predecessor, President Buhari, and assure all Nigerians that the reform-oriented path he initiated will be consolidated and strengthened under this administration. Our Renewed Hope Agenda is inspired by the desire to build a resilient, just, and inclusive Nigeria—a nation that delivers dividends of democracy to all its citizens”.
Speaking during an appearance on live television on Wednesday, Mr Omokri alleged that Mr Obi’s statements were misleading and damaging to the country’s economic prospects.
Mr Omokri said some investors currently operating in Nigeria were considering exiting the market due to Mr Obi’s remarks.
“That is not true. He doesn’t rile me up. I rile him up. The reason why I came here is because I’m a patriot. Peter Obi lied. You know, foreign direct investors are watching your programme, who are making investment decisions not to come to Nigeria. There are foreign investors in Nigeria that are making investment decisions to leave Nigeria because of the lie he told.
“One of the lies he told is that President Tinubu has borrowed more than the administrations of Yar’Adua, Jonathan, Buhari. That is a blatant lie”, Mr Omokri said.
To buttress his claims, Mr Omokri referenced figures from the Debt Management Office (DMO), maintaining that President Tinubu had actually reduced Nigeria’s external debt burden since assuming office.
“I have here with me data from the Debt Management Office, and Nigerians who are watching can go to DMO.com and search Debt Management Office, Nigeria State of Indebtedness 2015.
“As of 2015, Nigeria was owing a total of $63 billion. When Buhari was leaving office, Nigeria was owing $113 billion. Today, from the DMO, our debt has gone from $113 billion to $97 billion, meaning that Tinubu has reduced our debt by over $14 billion.
“We should be appreciating this man. Yet Peter Obi came here and lied to the Nigerian people. He took the debts and translated them into naira to make it look like the debts have increased”, he said.
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