Opinion
Not Too Young to Run and Historic Wins In Nigeria’s 2023 Elections – Samson Itodo
Dissatisfaction with democratic politics is fueled partly by the dominance of gerontocrats in politics and the disconnect between politics and citizens. The value citizens derive from politics is primarily influenced by the manner political actors practice the game of politics. Politics loses its relevance when it fails to deliver tangible outputs to citizens. It takes a cadre of political actors with a sense of purpose and commitment to democratic values, ethical leadership, and the common good to achieve the desired outcome of democratic politics – freedom and development. This notion explains the ideological foundation of the globally acclaimed Not Too Young to Run movement aimed at changing the face of politics by mobilizing young people into politics and supporting them to stay in politics.
Nigeria’s 2023 general election is the second general election since the passage of the Not Too Young to Run Act in 2018 which resulted in a reduction in the age qualification for the office of the President from 40 to 35years, House of Representatives from 30 to 25 years and State House of Assembly from 30 to 25 years. Nigeria’s youths deserve commendation for maximizing youth power to disrupt the political landscape through constitutional reforms. Before enacting the legislation, Nigeria grappled with poor youth representation in elective offices. In 2015, three out of 360 members in the House of Representatives were youth (18 – 35yrs), representing 0.3% of elected legislators. The figure was higher in State Houses of Assembly with 57 youths (6%) occupying seats out of 993 state constituency seats. Thanks to the Not Too Young to Run movement, 3% of seats in the House of Representatives were occupied by youth (25 – 35yrs) and 8% in state legislatures, signaling a gradual but remarkable shift in the 2019 elections.
An analysis of the list of candidates for the 2023 election indicates a decline in youth candidacy from 34% in the 2019 general election to 28.6% in 2023. Although young people maintained dominance as the largest demography (37.7%) on the national voter register, they were a minority on the list of candidates on the ballot. Despite the decline in youth candidacy in the 2023 election, youth representation in the legislature improved slightly compared to the 2015 and 2019 elections. Three dominant trends in youth participation in politics provide a plausible explanation for this outlook. First, in the last three election cycles, political parties were more likely to nominate more youth candidates for legislative seats at the state level rather than for executive offices or National Assembly seats. Even with the competitive nature of state-level races, the political reality suggests that legislative offices at the state level offer better opportunities for young people to contest and win elections. Second, while youth demography is the highest on the national register of voters, youth candidacy hardly inspires youth turnout. Third, youth candidates nominated by established political parties are more likely to win elections than those sponsored by less established parties.
Historic wins
Changing the face of politics in political contests defined by machine politics, patriarchy, and gerontocracy is a tall order. Notwithstanding, young politicians produced significant upsets and unseated incumbents during the 2023 election. As the Yiaga Africa report shows, Youth representation in the legislature improved slightly. Compared to 2015 and 2019, young people won more seats in the National and State Houses of Assembly in the 2023 elections. Youth representation in the House of Representatives increased from 3% in 2019 to 3.92% (0.9 increase), while in the state assemblies there was a 0.3% increase from 8.9% to 9.2%. Young people between ages 25 and 35 won 14 out of the 360 seats in the House of Representatives, and 92 out of 993 constituency seats in sub-national legislative houses. .
Excitedly, the election produced historic wins on two levels. First, two direct beneficiaries of Not Too Young to Run, under 29 years, won seats in the National Assembly. Second, young female legislators recorded historic wins in legislative elections–Four young female legislators under 35 won legislative seats in three state assemblies–namely Delta, Lagos, and Kwara, with Kwara State having the highest record of young female legislators. Notably, the youngest elected female legislator, 26 years, is from Kwara state. It’s the first-time voters will elect four young female legislators and candidates below 30 years to the National and State Assembly in the 25 years of Nigeria’s uninterrupted democratic journey. These historic wins represent young people’s resilience, resistance, and courage to shift the balance of power in democratic politics. It demonstrates what is possible when the political space is expanded, through constitutional and policy reform, for new voices to emerge. Unseating established and well-resourced incumbents and navigating months of legal battles, political intrigues, and Machiavellian politics to secure electoral wins is a welcome disruption.
Making the historic wins count
The net effect of high legislative performance is improved governance and sustainable development, which is the desire of constituents and voters. These historic wins will only count if the elected young legislators make a difference by ensuring excellent legislative performance. Legislative leadership requires an investment in sustained capacity building for young legislators, who are primarily first-time lawmakers, to improve their knowledge of legislative practice and procedure. In addition to the National Assembly, civil society, think tanks, and development partners should create opportunities for enhancing the capacity of young legislators through training, publications, and learning exchange visits. Legislative houses should assign leadership roles to young legislators to maximize their intellect, energy, and creativity in improving legislative governance. A few states have elected young legislators as speakers, deputy speakers, and principal officers. Five state legislatures elected under 40 speakers, and one state has a 35-year-old as Speaker. Media organizations should take deliberate steps to spotlight the contributions of young legislators to legislative governance and ensure media visibility for young legislators at the National and State assemblies. Constituents require regular and accurate information on legislative activities to hold elected representatives to account.
Providing incentives could inspire high legislative performance in contexts where effective leadership and legislative performance are in short supply. Legislators feel motivated to deliver campaign promises and quality representation if they feel their efforts will be recognized and celebrated, or it could translate to high social and political capital – the currency for electoral politics. For this reason, Yiaga Africa, with support from its partners, recently instituted the Not Too Young To Run Leadership Prize for Legislative Performance to recognize and celebrate outstanding young legislators who, under challenging circumstances, achieve excellent legislative performance in lawmaking, legislative oversight, and constituent representation. The Prize is open to young legislators who make significant contributions to legislative governance. The ultimate objective of the Prize is to showcase exceptional young legislators as models of public leadership and to motivate current legislators to deliver legislative leadership and quality representation.
Samson Itodo is an election, democracy, and public policy enthusiast. Itodo serves as the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa. He is also a Board member of the Kofi Annan Foundation and the Board of Advisers of International IDEA. Please send comments and feedback to sitodo@yiaga.org. He tweets @DSamsonItodo.
There is something common in politics and with Politicians in this clime, it stems from the arrogance of power, it stinks to high heavens, it is shit in its worst form; that a few men and women play God, they assume that their egocentric predilections represent the collective will, and they undermine the Law as well as the mindset of the electorate. They move to Party B with the mandate given to Party A by the People. And they Cross-carpet or decamp to another Party without deference to the provisions of the Law.
Just yesterday the entire Political Structure in my home State of Delta was led by the State Governor Mr. Sheriff Oborevwori from the Peoples Democratic Party PDP to the All Progressive Congress APC, that tsunami of sorts happened without firm reasons but the usual refrain that ‘they want to align with the centre for more democratic dividends to come to the State’. I wouldn’t have opted to do this piece had the All Progressive Congress APC made great feats of the States under its watch, alas President Bola Ahmed Tinubu (PBAT) and his followers are masters of deceit, subterfuge and perfidy. They spew soulless propaganda, having no soul they lack moral margins, they lie about everything and they destroy the moral fabrics of our nation. They are shameless, spineless and have no scruples.
Where is the Soul of the men of power who dumped the PDP just yesterday for the APC in Delta State? They have chosen to stand on a Blood Stained Mandate. They have elected a Hunger ridden mandate. They have chosen a corruption riddled mandate. They laud an insecurity enabling mandate. They salute a nepotistic mandate. And they dance to a frustration festering mandate. Had the PBAT led APC at the Centre made Nigeria better than it met her, I would applaud Governor Sheriff and his fellow travelers, but the truth is what consistently the APC, including Governor Sheriff Oborevwori and his men have chosen to trample upon, nay the Truth is that under the PBAT led APC Government, Nigeria is today worse than it was yesterday.
What logic situates the movement of the Delta State Political Structures from the PDP to the APC at a time when Nigerians feel the most unsafe in their homeland? When the States of Plateau, Benue and Bornu have become theatres of human barbecues. Is it not stupidity to elect a blood stained and a blood soaked mandate over being in a Party in the opposition?
Is it not a show of shame to elect a mandate that has left the masses of the people in poverty, despondency and want over fueling the fervour of an opposition seeking a new deal and a new Republic of hope for the people? Which sincere and people oriented leader would dump the opposition for a Party that is absolutely rudderless and progressively multiplying poverty? Only the soulless and the shameless, surely.
The fulminating shenanigans that undermine the monstrous corruption of the APC Government, the unending Infrastructural decay, the unhinged failure of the energy and the power sector, the pervasive hunger, disease and pain in the land, and the murderous gangs killing and maiming citizens with reckless abandon defines the Olympic soullessness of the Delta State Political Merchants who have elected a Blood Stained Mandate over matching for the redemption of Nigeria.
I believe that it is manifest stupidity to desert the opposition at a time that our nation is in dire straits and badly craving vibrant opposition. I believe that it is a show of shame to decamp to a Party and a Government that has failed to protect lives and property.
And I hereby lampoon with unbridled vehemence all those who have chosen to stand on the blood stained and blood soaked mandate that PBAT epitomizes.
Hmmm, so suddenly my home State is now APC, interesting. A class of less than 300 people nay ‘leaders’ met at the Government House in Asaba, and in one fell swoop changed the political colour, temperature and identity of the State, interesting. My People, this One-Party State wey APC and PBAT dey push and pursue na to what end? PBAT and his Party the APC through this manifest antics of State capture have tied democracy to the stake, and are daily through acts of impunity, lawlessness, and braggadocio shooting violently at democracy, I pray they do not shoot this jingleover democracy to death. I pray that they understand that One Party State is the precursor to Authoritarian Rule and Dictatorship. And I pray that they are not oblivious of the politico-social tendencies of the Nigerian State, a State that cannot and has never been captured by any one tendency. In any case, before they completely murder democracy, it must be on record that someone warned against the Stupidity, against the Show of Shame and against the Shenanigans of our Political Operators.
Call me names, but let it be on record that when the elders and the hoard of egotistic political merchants that predominate our political kaleidoscope fiddled with the poisoned chalice of sycophancy and hypocrisy, I wasn’t quiet. Let it be on record that when they ate poisoned bread baked with blood stained and blood soaked mandate, and when they chose to dance on the tombs of the dead across our space who were unlived because government failed to protect them, that someone called out the discerning, and warned against the omnious times that they make certain.
The sequel to this patriotic effort shall most certainly tell more, reveal more and foretell the pitfalls that a most arrogant and self-seeking political class weave in the path of our ‘democracy’. We have got some difficult days and difficult times ahead.
Call me the Wailer, that’s ok, for I Wail that Nigeria may become Great.
Prof Chris Mustapha Nwaokobia Jnr
Convener COUNTRYFIRST MOVT. A Good Governance Advocacy Group.
It was the famous American former President, Abraham Lincoln who noted that the people when rightly and fully trusted will return the trust.
Thus, when the trust level gets high enough, people exceed apparent limits, discovering new and awesome abilities of which they were formerly unaware.
When trust is placed on those who occupy public office, they need to work had to continue to justify the trust in the people they preside over.Appointment into office is premised on the facts that the appointee is capable and will be of immense values to the realization of the aspirations of the government in power.
Thus, with the coming of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu into office, series of strategic appointment of respected and credible niger9ians were made thereafter.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu had the qualities of appointing the right people in the right position, having judged their qualification and capabilities. This is a unique ability which good leaders to possess in abundance.
It was this sense of judgement that made him to appoint Chief Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola CON as the current minister of Marine and Blue Economy.He was the former chief of Staff to the former Governor of Osun State and later became the governor of the state.
Whereby he displayed integrity, self-awareness, courage, respect, compassion, and resilience. This role allowed him to exhibit his administrative shrewdness and dedication to the advancement of the state.
During this time, he played a critical role in implementing policies and initiatives aimed at improving education, healthcare, and infrastructure.He was later appointed minister of transportation by President Bola Tinubu on 16 August 2023, but redeployed four days later to the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Despite the newness of the ministry, his leadership abilities and acumen as well as his professional qualification eminently qualifies him for the arduous job, for he pursued his education with diligence, earning a degree in Applied Accounting from the prestigious University of Lagos.
With a passion for learning and a keen eye for effective management, he embarked on a career that would see him excel in various sectors.
According to the World Bank, the blue economy is the “sustainable use of ocean resources for economic growth, improved livelihoods, and jobs while preserving the health of ocean ecosystem.”
European Commission defines it as “All economic activities related to oceans, seas and coasts, the realization that Nigeria has vast ocean ecosystem justifies the creation of the ministry.
The ministry’s four action pillars for its first four years (2023–2027) are: promoting sustainable blue economy investments; transforming port operations; enhancing port infrastructure; and strengthening blue governance.
Under Oyetola’s leadership, the ministry targets attracting $2 billion in investments in offshore renewable energy by 2025; establishing at least five new fish processing plants by 2025 and at least two new coastal tourism sites by 2026; and creating three million marine and blue economy-related jobs by 2027.
The importance of this ministry lies in the fact that the life of the planet and correct functioning of ecosystem services are sustained by marine ecosystems.
The blue economy thus has the potential to achieve a sustainable development which does not compromise life on Earth tomorrow.
Thus, his appointment eminently justifies and in line with the aspiration s to make Nigeria a great nation.His achievements in office are attributed to maritime security and safety, port operational efficiency, infrastructure rehabilitation, connectivity and blue economy development.
The Minister, who unfolds the strategic plans of the Ministry and the Agencies which would focus on maritime security, safety, ship building & maintenance, maritime governance, port infrastructure rehabilitation, capacity building, among others.
Under his leadership, the Nigeria’s territorial waters became safer especially in the Gulf of Guinea (GoG) in the past one year, with the maritime sector recorded zero incidence of piracy and maritime terrorism for more than one year.
Ports were upgraded and his ministry worked assiduously to actualize the implementation of the National Single Window at the nation’s ports to facilitate trade and competitiveness of country’s port system.
The value his outstanding leadership will also impact on the acceptability and reelection of the present administration in 2027.
We Commend President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the confidence reposed in and the subsequent Appointment of Chief Gboyega Oyetola as the Minister of the Marine and Blue Economy.
He is honest and transparent in his stronger determination to reposition the sector as the leading source of revenue to the country and will surely do more based on his past robust antecedents. We thus call on all Nigerians to support his vision and pragmatic leadership in the office, so as to enable impact the lives of many more citizens of the country.
Dr K.M.Tugga is an Abuja resident and public affairs commentator
By Rinret Jennifer Mwarap
The unrelenting massacre of citizens in Plateau State has reached an alarming level. While the government claims to be taking steps to restore order, the reality on the ground tells a different story one that feels like nothing meaningful is being done.
It is heartbreaking to see our loved ones butchered without cause. The questions torment us: What have we done wrong? Who have we offended? Where did we go astray? Must we continue to endure this suffering for no justifiable reason?
The killing of innocent people in Plateau must come to an end. The government and security forces cannot afford to look away. Their responsibility is clear they must act swiftly and decisively to bring the perpetrators to justice, for the sake of the innocent victims and the children left behind.
I call on the Governor of Plateau State to rise to this challenge. Take bold and immediate action against those who seek to destroy our land and shed innocent blood. Let them face the full weight of the law.
This feels like a nightmare—how did we get to the point where the same Plateau where I once slept peacefully with both eyes closed is now a place where even sleeping with one eye open feels unsafe?
Where is the peace in our “Home of Peace and Tourism”?
When will our tears dry? When will justice prevail?
If we truly seek peace, then justice must be non-negotiable.