Roles of youth in electioneering processes Identified as crucial to sustainable democracy

  Roles of youth in electioneering processes Identified as crucial to sustainable  democracy

In a bid to further strengthen our democracy, the Role of Youths in Electioneering Processes has been described as vital tools to significantly nudge participation of our teeming population of youths in electioneering process.

The Chairman of the occassion, Aare Dele Bankole made this known to celebrate this year Iganmode day festival while delivering his speech titled "“The Role of Youths in Electioneering Processes”, during the youth forum at  Olota's Palace hall in Ota.

 Bankole added that when the youths are engaged to participate in decision making and contribute beneficially to the societies, the future of participatory democracy in our land is guaranteed. 

"I am however, hopeful that this trend is gradually being challenged & subdued as witnessed in the last LG elections in the Ogun State by the large number of youths that contested either as Chairmen or Councillors in the last election. Out of 236 Councilors elected and sworn in, 48 of them are below the age of 35 representing 20% of the total number of elected officials; whilst 117 of the elected fall between the ages of 35 and 45 years of age representing about 50% of the total number of the elected officials.  At OGSIEC, we are proud of this remarkable and exemplary achievement by the youths in Ogun State",

The place of political education is very important. You must be alert to political happenings and development around you. Political education & awareness can only empower you to take the front seat in the electioneering process. You must endeavour to form yourselves into pressure groups to demand for a reasonable percentage in your various political parties.  I know of the 30 % affirmative action, being pushed by the women, it is also high time the youth came up with theirs and vigorously pursue it. More so, you must develop a self-value system. It is lack of self-value that makes the youths to become praise singers and ready-made armies of violence for politicians. One of our communication thrusts in the build up to the elections was for youths not to be used and dumped by politicians, this is a menace the youths must tame. Who says a youth cannot become the president, senators, members of the federal house of representatives and more?", Bankole said.

Giving credence to Chief Olusegun Obasanjo statement who once said “Youths constitute Nigeria’s only hope for a greater future”, Bankole explained that youths' role should also include harnessing your numerical advantage to influence and press home your demand, create a new political consciousness & vision, develop culture of integrity, diligence and probity; as these are inarguably the strong pillars of your roles in the electioneering process.

According to him,the Commonwealth Triennial rankings, Nigeria is ranked 161 out of 181 countries polled saying It is a call for action to the Nigerian Government and stakeholders in youth development to reassess the dormancy and the latent force of the Nigerian youths.