Can The Youths Really Challenge President Buhari In 2019? -By Adetayo Omotoyosi Adeolu

Adetayo Omotoyosi Adeolu

Yesterday, I looked up on the Independent National Electoral Commission website, there was a section that read countdown days to the 2019 General Elections. Immediately I stumbled on it, the question that perturb my mind was who will challenge President Buhari in this forthcoming election ?

There has been a lot of arguments to displace these old Politicians and military men cum reformed democrats, and the youths seems to be the ones spearheading this theory with the passage of ‘The Not Too Young Too Run’ bill. So many youths, even the ones that ordinarily on a free and fair elections, cannot deliver their immediate constituency are jostling for the highest Political office in the country. While I do not condemn their brevity and aspirations, since it is of noble course. I however need to remind them that a child does not start walking before crawling, instead he learns how to crawl before walking. They should start from the lowest positions and move on to the ladder.
Do not get me wrong, there is nothing wrong in dreaming big, having visions, but looking the structure of the country as it is today, it will be a daunting task for anyone without experience to just take over that position.

A number of youths have indicated their interest to run for the position of the Presidency. But what amazes me, even as a youth, is their inability to reach conclusion and present to us a consensus candidate.
As the use of technology gets more intense, so many Nigerian Youths seems to be so active using social media as the tool to fight oppression, speak up against tyranny and the rest. They were recently vindicated when the Acting President called for the overhaul of SARS. But the youths must take the cognizance of the fact that election in Nigeria is not conducted on the social media platforms, rather it is conducted through the ballot, using your P.V.C.
It is good that the youths of Nigeria have woken up to their responsibilities, but they must also ensure that those youths aspirant agree within themselves and present a consensus candidate. The youths today have a greater voting population, but they should take a step forward by presenting just one candidate that will go into the contest with the incumbent President.

These young aspirant such as Professor Moghalu, Sowore, Fela Durotoye and the rest must take their campaign back to the ordinary people, the man on the street that do not use the social media. They should as a matter of urgency go organise seminars, town hall meetings, where they will let people in on their manifestos and the plans they have for the nation, if elected. They must also visit our tertiary institutions and facilitate the collections of their permanent card. They should also call for volunteers that will speed up the work of INEC staffs. However, there is also the need to sensitize our these student on the need to get their PVC and voting in the election. These young aspirants, although equipped with the intelligence needed for the 21st century, technology driven economy that Nigerian is in dire need of.

As we close home to the election that will more or less determine, shape our future in the next four years, we must take our actions beyond social media and get involved in the real business of proper Politics and moving our nation forward.

At the end of the election in 2019,we want to see a Young President who can deliver the true dividends of democracy different from the ones promised by our old Politicians.

Let the debate continue.

God Bless The Federal Republic Of Nigeria.