2019 election and Youth hopeful president aspirant -By Abba Dukawa

Even before the assenting of the Not Too Young to Run Bill into law Nigerians youths have seen the wave of emerged youth as leader’s across the European countries like France, Ireland, Estonia and Austria and Canada, both these European countries elects youths as leaders under the age of 40 consequently, less emphasis is put on age and experience. To the electorate in these countries, there is the feeling that new approaches are needed for today’s problems. More than youth alone, these new crop leaders offer their respective countries a renewed sense of vitality and excitement.

In spite of what seems to be a growing trend for young leaders across the globe, but in Nigeria older politicians are still very much involved in governing and setting the agenda in Nigeria, but an array of youths, who have so far declared interest for the presidency may alter this political order.

Today’s generation of young people is the largest the world has ever known. Half of the global population is under 30, and yet 73 per cent of countries restrict young people from running for office, even though they can vote. The teeming population of young people, notwithstanding, they make up less than two per cent of the world’s members of parliament. About 30 per cent of the world’s lower houses of parliament have no members of parliaments (MPs) aged under age of 30, while more than 80 per cent of the world’s upper houses of parliament have no MPs aged under 30.

Nigerian Youths celebrating assenting of the Not Too Young to Run Bill by the president and signing the bill is historic. It is without doubt that the bill directly affects the majority of the populace, who make up about 60% of the total population of the nation. The Bill is an amendment of Section 65 (1), 106(b), 131 (b), 177 (b) of the constitution. Prior to the amendment, the Constitution required that anyone vying for a seat at the National Assembly must attain the age of 35 years for Senate and 30 years for House of Representatives; section 106 (b) stipulated that a candidate must attain the age of 30yrs before contesting for a seat at the state House of Assembly; Section 131 (b) pegged the age of 40 years for candidates vying for the office of the President; while Section 177(b) pegged Age of governorship candidates as for 35 years. With this new amendment, passage and signing into law, age of a Presidential aspirant has been reduced from 40 years to 30 years; Governors have been reduced from 35 years to 30 years; Senate from 35 years to 30 years; House of Representatives from 30 years to 25 years; and House of Assembly which was hitherto at 30 years has been reduced to 25 years.

Can Nigerians youth equal to the tasks as the country approach the 2019 general elections; Nigeria deserves a youth leaders at all level of authority, even though elections are not won on social media but on the political turf and either way by demanding for a Not Too Young to Run Bill neither generational power shift. The tasks ahead of Nigeria youth is to be proactive toward making themselves more significant and also ready in pursuing their common goal by organize themselves around positive core values, become ideological in the sense of nationalism and patriotism in their quest for a generational shift in political leadership of the country.

Whatever the case politics is a game of numbers, at the end of the day, the youth are in the majority. What is the excuse? So, long as the older generation do not have the incentive to step down, for so long will they continue to reinvent and reappoint and resurface.” So far some youths declared interest in the 2019 presidency. They are Ahmed Buhari (39), Chris Emejuru (35), Adamu Garba II (35), Fela Durotoye (46), Yul Edochie (36) and Eniola Ojajuni (39), among others.

While the emergence of youthful figures in positions of power in other lands gives hope to these young Nigerian presidential hopefuls, it still remains to be seen how far they can cause a break from the past. A leading youth presidential candidate Adamu Garba II said that if our founding father like Nnamdi Azikiwe, Obafemi Awolowo and Ahmadu Bello Abubakar Tabawa Belewa were 40 respectively, when they began active roles as pioneers of Nigeria’s political history. Yakubu Gowon were in his 30s, when took centre stage in Nigerian politics. So the present generation of Nigeria youth can do it considering their exposure and educational background as the country youths allowing the older generation continues ruling the country saying youths constitute the larger percentage of the voting population, should not be denied access to elective offices through age restriction. Youths should not be treated as a mere launch pad to office, as their interests are better understood and served by elected leaders of their age group knowing in leadership, age is not a barrier, wisdom is key.

Adamu Garba II view about present crop of Nigerians politicians? What politicians are doing to us is just looking at our faces and spitting on us because we allow them so much freedom. We mystify them like demi-gods; we create one hyper personality around them; we see them as somehow untouchable. They were able to have a lot of branding that made them reach this height and we succumb and humble ourselves. So it’s not altogether the fault of the politicians; it’s mostly the fault of those that believe we cannot do the right thing. If one woman is dying or one child is not going to school it should give me sleepless nights and such person to me is a politician not somebody who would take advantage of that child not going to school. We Nigerians don’t trust so much in democracy because of the military hangover. That is why I am going contest primary elections under the platform of APC with 75 year president. It means anybody can go there and do it. When you say ‘military hangover’ the population of Nigeria is 60% young people. Where did this military hangover come from? There is a direct transfer. The children who were born in 1999 till date that can vote in 2019 election, most of them are children of the parents that have placed their luck and they give their children all these personal information.

When asked why he is in the party with old political like APC? Said Every single change that has started in this world started with one person and then come together with a common objective and that common objective would be the interest of Nigeria. We’ve also had cases of individuals who have also tried to do things. When your common goal is that of common humanity, of common good, then you will naturally have humanity behind you. It is the natural global conspiracy. But when your goal is to sectionalize, personalize or is driven by emotion: a ‘me versus you’ or ‘us versus them’ always ends up in clash. Forget about the North and the West guy. This is Nigeria; we need to be economically sound, to make sure that 90% of our people are living above the poverty line. We have a plan from 2019-2035. We are going to place Nigeria as one of the greatest nations in the world. We are not the founders of structural reform; it is something that has been working all over the world. The reason why it has not been working in Nigeria is because of the system. We have a patronage clan- people that only depend on one source of income that only they believe that they should have. We would unbundle it and make it available to everyone.

On his political pedigree said? I’m a certified business man though I’ve done some political duties during my secondary school and university days but I don’t believe that you need political pedigree to do the right thing. I believe the only person that can change Nigeria is someone who comes from outside the political establishment with the right program. My decisions have never been driven by emotions or sentiments, it is always driven by reasons and facts. I categorize myself as someone with high degree of emotional stability. I never push blames on anyone or anything on my successes or failures, I always look inwards, within myself for reasons, which, in all cases, I find it right there.

Asked why at 35 years want to rule the country said ‘’seeking to be president on behalf of those whose lives have been shattered, those who live in the midst of poverty, squalor and extreme violence; because they have been denied the right to education, work, electricity, health, food security, clean water and even denied the right to live! I seek for all Nigerians a life of dignity and freedom. Saying he felt guilty to watch things go wrong and not do anything and this made him run for president believes it is important for us to chart a better way for our nation. Having the interest to serve the people and the nation, Adamawa state, born politician studied many policies of state crafts to acquire more knowledge on how best to liberate the country and also stand as counter-weight to the other politicians who have joined the oppressor class and are now engaged in re-colonizing the citizens of Nigeria through anti-people policies and toxic leadership

Adamawa state APC hopeful presidential candidate, this is a struggle for liberation of all Nigerian groups who are held as captives and struggle in vain to live the type of lives they dreamed and wished for. I seek a peaceful revolution of hope for the poor and the downtrodden, the marginalized, the bystanders and those who have presence but no voice to express their presence. This revolution will restructure the country and usher in a new political culture and new politics, where we collectively harness the best ideas from the rest of the world and from our traditions and cultures create a Nigeria where the elite and citizens live with the same rights and privileges and engage in patriotic struggles every day to make Nigeria better.

It’s worth note to understand All Progressive Congress presidential hopeful Adamu Garba achieved his success by hardworking not by share of chance, attended the Almajiri School from the age of 4 to 8 and proceeds to a conventional school at age eight. After his primary and secondary education, he proceeded to Kano State University, Wudil, to study Electrical Engineering but was rusticated at three hundred levels, being rusticated from University, he left home for Lagos, got a job in Apapa and began to practice what he was doing and found out that it was really working. He got another job with Torrent Technology, got another job with an oil company in Warri where he worked for nine months and resigned. He got another job with Torrent Technology, got another job with an oil company in Warri where he worked for nine months and resigned. He came back to Lagos because he knows Microsoft Solutions very well and joined another company but I resigned after six months to set up his firm with just N54, 000.

Three principles drive me in my dealings with people, I am a humanist. I value humanity above all other things. I believe in the power of human capacity to achieve all the greatness desired. I believe life is sacred and all human being deserve the basic things in life. I am a moralist; I bring my moral conscience in all my dealings. I always connect with people first as a common human like me, put myself in his/her position before I make my judgments. When I have power to take any decision that may affect others, I do that to the satisfaction of my moral conscience. I usually don’t believe in just saying things, but also acting them. In my entire adult working life, I worked to symbolize most of the things I say. I worked hard to build my company professionally by actively pursuing competence and customer value as the key drivers and have an excellent manifesto on how to improve the life of ordinary Nigerians by deliberate and committed effort to transit from poverty.

Dukawa can be reached at abuhanadee4@gmail.com