With about 200 days to the conduct of the 2019 elections in Nigeria, and with the increase in activities surrounding the electoral process, youths have been reminded of the need for them to be meaningfully and positively involved in the electoral process by forming Vanguards, obtaining their PVCs, contesting for elective positions, shunning drug abuse and other untoward acts and maximizing the recently passed ‘not too young to run’ bill.
Giving the advice was Mr Olusegun Adeyemi, the State Director, National Orientation Agency Kwara State, when he featured as the guest on ‘The Voter’s Watch’ a Kwara State Television programme sponsored by the Independent National Electoral Commission, Kwara State.
While responding to various questions asked by the anchor, Barrister Jacob Ayanda (Head of Publicity and Voter Education, INEC Kwara), Mr Adeyemi noted that the youths constitute a larger percentage of the electorates in Nigeria, hence, they have a critical role to play. He further stated that because of the susceptibility and vulnerability of young persons, and as a result of the high poverty level in the land, some persons negatively influence youths to participate in electoral offences, thuggery, violence and other acts which are inimical to the smooth running of the electoral process. This, he urged the youths to put an end to, by being disciplined and not accepting to be pawns in the hands of desperate and crooked individuals who are more interested in their political gains than national development. .
Mr Olusegun Adeyemi therefore charged youths to shun all forms of negative acts and act responsibly by contributing to the development of the nation’s democracy and showing the good stuff they have, by aspiring into elective positions, because youths can no longer wait for power to be given to them on a platter of gold, rather, they must work and get hold of leadership by putting in the required effort.
The NOA Director thereafter charged eligible electorates, as well as political parties and indeed everyone to play by the electoral rules, saying that we all owe it a duty to contribute our best to the success of the forthcoming elections and Change must begin with Individuals.