2023: Between Not Too Young To Run Act And Ploy To Raise Election Spending
ITis obvious that political consciousness among Nigerian youths has risen to an all- time high. The era when they remained passive on issues of governance is gone for good. The # ENDSARS protests that rocked the country in October last year showed the entire world that Nigerian youths are now keen about demanding accountability from those at the helm of affairs in the nation. Even four weeks ago, as the country was celebrating 2021 Democracy Day, many youths took to the streets to protest against rising unemployment and the prevailing insecurity in the country. Some of them displayed placards with various inscriptions like ‘ Say no to Injustice’, ‘ 33.3 per cent Unemployment Rate is Criminal’ and ‘ Digital Right is Human Right’ while some wore T- shirts with inscriptions such as ‘ Freedom Comes by Struggle’, ‘ We Must Come Together to Salvage Our Nation’.
These protests, coupled with the rising agitations for secession by some ethnic nationalities in the country, which are also mostly championed by youths, underscore the fact that the present generation of young Nigerians are not politically docile and would make a huge impact in future elections if they are able to get their act together.
The National Youth Leader of All Progressives Congress ( APC) Caretaker/ Extraordinary National Convention Planning Committee, Ismaeel Buba Ahmed, admitted this much in a recent interview with one of the national dailies, when he stated that youths were the key to 2023 elections and beyond.
“In 2023, young people are going to demand what office seekers are going to do for us… we must work on gaining the young people on our side more. Engagement is the key. The youths are the key to 2023 elections and beyond. I keep saying that 2023 is going to be a battle for the young people as it has been clearly demonstrated,” Ahmed said.
However, observers are doubting the seriousness of the young Nigerians to take the bull by the horns in 2023 and get a good number of their peers into leadership position at the local, state and federal levels, and the reason is not farfetched.
In May 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the “Not Too Young To Run” bill sponsored in the House of Representatives by Tony Nwulu and in the Senate by Abdulaziz Nyako to encourage the youths to aspire to high offices in the governance of the country. Essentially, the law relaxed some of the stringent provisions of Sections 65, 106, 131 and 177 of the 1999 Constitution that concern requirements for occupying elective positions in the country. It reduced the age qualification for president from 40 to 30; governor from 35 to 30; senator from 35 to 30; House of Representatives membership from 30 to 25 and for House of Assembly membership from 30 to 25. Many young Nigerians took advantage of the law to contest for elective positions during the 2019 general election.
Some youths contested the presidency with President Buhari, who was then seeking for re- election. Among the young presidential candidates were Chike Ukaegbu of the Advanced Allied Party ( AAP), who was then 35 years old; Shipi Godia of the All Blending Party ( ABP) who was aged 39; Obinna Ikeagwuonu, 38, of the Action Peoples Party ( APP); Emmanuel Etim, 38, of the Change Nigeria Party ( CNP); Robinson Akpua, 39, of National Democratic Liberty Party ( NDLP); Eunice Atuejide, 40, of the National Interest Party ( NIP); Ike Keke, 39, of the New Nigeria Peoples Party ( NNPP); Felix Nicholas, 37, of Peoples Coalition Party ( PCP); Nseobong Nsehe, 33, of the Restoration Party of Nigeria ( RP) and Ahmed Buhari, 36, of Sustainable National Party ( SNP).
Many other Nigerians aged between 41 and 50 years also latched on the euphoria generated by the law to vie for the presidency. These included people like Omoyele Sowore, 47, of the African Action Congress ( AAC); Fela Durotoye, 47, of the Alliance for New Nigeria ( ANN); Nwokeafor Ikechukwu, 42, of the Advanced Congress of Democrats ( ACD), Shittu Moshood, 49, of the Alliance National Party ( ANP); Tope Fasua, 47, of the Abundant Nigeria Renewal Party ( ANRP); Mamman Yusuf, 46, of the Allied Peoples Movement ( APM); Lewis Abah, 48, of the Change Advocacy Party ( CAP) and John Onwubuya, 47, of the Freedom and Justice Party ( FJ).
The outing was, however, very poor going by the result of the election. Although one of them, Felix Nicholas of PCP, was the second runner up in the election, he garnered only
110,196 votes, representing 0.40 per cent of the total votes cast while the first runner up, Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PD) got 11, 262, 978 votes, representing 41.22 per cent of the total votes cast. President Muhammadu
Buhari of the All Progressives Congress ( APC), who won the election, polled 15, 191, 847, representing 55.60 per cent of the total votes cast.
The abysmal performance of the young candidates in the election has been blamed on a number of factors, including lack of strong party structure at the grassroots, weak financial muscle to successfully prosecute their campaigns and failure to collapse their structures and rally round a sole youthful candidate.
Unfortunately, these challenges may not give way anytime soon even as another one is brewing. If the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021 currently before the National Assembly is passed, as it is, the problem of poor financing would particularly be worsened for the youths.
The extant 2010 Electoral Act, as amended, caps spending limits as follows: presidential election – N1 billion; governorship- N200 million; senatorial – N40 million; House of Representatives candidate – N20 million and House of Assembly – N10 million.
According to insider reports on the Amendment Bill, the lawmakers are seeking to substantially raise campaign spending under Section 88. If passed, a presidential candidate would be free to spend up to N15 billion; governorship candidate N5 billion; senatorial candidate N1.5 billion; House of Representatives candidate N500 million while a candidate for House of Assembly could spend up to N50 million.
While defending the move to grant higher spending, a lawmaker who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “We took cognisance of the fact that N1 billion campaign fund limit is no longer realistic. The same thing applies to other candidates at other levels. We are being realistic with the new campaign cash ceilings. And the reality is that most candidates in the past breached the provision of Section 88 without sanctions. We have to come to terms with reasonable thresholds.”
But what would be the fate of young Nigerians who are angling to take over power from the established and old politicians? Will the provision not make a mess of the Not Too Young To Run Act? What do Nigerian youths think about it? And how ready are they to latch on their current political form and make a major inroad into the political arena in 2023?
The Guardian interviewed some young politicians and activists on the issue and presents their views as follows:
‘ It’s Strange Nigerian Lawmakers Are Thinking Of Raising Election Spending’
Chukwunonso Daniel Ogbe, is a lawyer. He ran for the Enugu
North/ South Federal Constituency, Enugu State in the 2019 general elections on the platform of African Peoples Alliance ( APA). He told LAWRENCE NJOKU in Enugu that increasing election spending would encourage the merchandising of the country’s political process.
As political realignments for 2023 elections begin in earnest, this is the right time for youths to strategise about taking over the reins of governance, but that does not seem to be happening. What is your take?
OF a truth, many Nigerian youths are presently contending with many challenges emanating from the economic crisis that is ravaging the nation at the moment. As a result, they do not have much time to play partisan politics. It is said that a hungry man is an angry man; and I make bold to state that a poor man is an emotionally destabilised man. The economy of Nigeria is presently in a shamble, and I can tell you that this unfortunate development is already adversely affecting the political actions and inactions of most Nigerian youths.
You do not strategise with bare hands. Money is needed to strategise. You have to host meetings, and in doing that, huge amount of money is needed to take care of logistics and other miscellaneous expenses. Money is needed for media presence. The political activities of the Nigerian youth in preparation for the 2023 general election may not be in the limelight if most of the youths who are political actors lack the financial wherewithal to make their voices heard.
Though moves by Nigerian youths to become active in the 2023 general election at the federal level may not be well coordinated, the scenario at the state level may be different. From my personal observation, many Nigerian youths are becoming more interested in what would happen in the political terrain of Nigeria come 2023 at the state level.
Do you think Nigerian youths are ready to give the older politicians a challenge or they pushed for the enactment of the Not Too Young to Run law just to be in the law book?
I must assert that the Not Too Young to Run Movement, which has been given legal life with the reduction in the constitutional age requirement to vie for some political offices in Nigeria, is a bold political campaign championed by Nigerian youths. I am also of the view that the age requirement for Nigerian citizens to vie for elective offices should be further lowered, considering what obtains in other climes, where young people of about 21 years of age are legally empowered to vie for political offices.
There are many Nigerian youths who are ready to assert their political right, but do not necessarily consider partisan politics as an avenue to embark on political confrontation with elderly politicians. However, it seems the odds are against such youths, considering the political climate of the country which seems not to be favourable to the youth.
Accordingly, having, to a large extent, surmounted the initial hurdle of lowering the age requirement to vie for political offices in Nigeria, I believe that the second phase of the clamour for political empowerment of the youths would be asserted vehemently come 2023. I see many Nigerian youths vying for political offices in a more coordinated manner when the next general election will be conducted. Of late, there seems to be serious awareness and sensitisation among the youth, especially on social media platforms, on the need to be involved in partisan politics.
In 2019, many young Nigerians floated political parties
and contested for the position of President. Why is it difficult for Nigerian youths to come together and line up behind a young presidential candidate?
I think we have to get something clear. The fact that one is a youth does not automatically imply that one would make a good leader. There are Nigerian youths who may not do well as leaders if they should mount the saddle of leadership; the same way we have some elderly people in power who have also failed to prove their mettle as far as leadership is concerned.
Many variables determine the manner the electorate exercise their franchise in any given election in Nigeria. Most electorate, save for those whose actions are propelled by primordial sentiments, would naturally opt for those that stand a high chance of delivering the goods as far as governance is concerned irrespective of whether such prospective political office holders are youths or otherwise. We also have to appreciate the fact that the financial implication of aspiring to occupy the office of the President of Nigeria is high, and many youths who championed the clamour for emergence of President from among the youths or better still, nottoo- elderly strata of the political class, never had the financial wherewithal to prosecute the campaign. The existence of a structure, to a large extent, determines the success or failure of any political outing. A presidential candidate of a political party is expected to have at least governorship candidates in all the states of the federation. These governorship candidates are the ones to coordinate the campaigns of their young presidential candidate at the state level. This was not the case during the 2019 general elections. We hope to see a more coordinated outing by young Nigerian politicians come 2023.
What are some of the issues impeding participation of young people in politics?
The major challenge that has made it difficult for an average Nigerian youth to thrive successfully in the political terrain is the huge financial requirement to vie for a political office. In Nigeria, candidates of political parties basically shoulder the cost of prosecuting their electioneering campaigns, unlike what obtains in many other climes where the electorate galvanise support for aspirants into political offices who seem to have the wherewithal to deliver the goods to them leadership- wise. Many Nigerian youths do not have huge amount of money needed to prosecute political campaigns.
There is also the problem of electoral malpractices that has made it difficult for many youths to assert themselves politically. The local council should ordinarily afford a large number of youths opportunity to participate actively in governance but it has become a notorious fact that most, if not all, local council elections in Nigeria are replete with fraud. These two challenges have made it difficult for young people to actively participate in politics.
What is your reaction to the move to raise election spending in the draft Electoral Act now before the National Assembly?
It is a strange development that Nigerian lawmakers are more interested in raising the amount of money that may be spent by Nigerians desirous of vying for a political office, as opposed to making frantic efforts to see that electronic voting is made legally possible in Nigeria. Raising election spending will further encourage the merchandising of our political process. However, the ball is in the court of Nigerians to decide if they seek to be bought over with money on election day and suffer thereafter, or whether they would opt for men and women of modest means who may not be moneybags, but who have what it takes to better their lives.
Many elderly politicians have posited that Nigerian youth are not ready for leadership. Do you agree with them?
To an extent, I agree with the elderly politicians. If many youths are ready for leadership, they would appreciate the need to have numerical strength, virility and intellectual disposition to take over power through constitutional means. When we talk about electoral malpractices, we have to acknowledge the fact that it is difficult to perpetrate the fraud without the express or implied support of the youths. If many youths are willing to ignore pecuniary inducements given to them by those who see politics as business, then the elderly politicians will be compelled to have some level of respect for the young Nigerian politician. Nigerian youths may not indeed be ready for leadership when they would not be willing to come together and support a young person who has qualities to make a good leader if given the opportunity to serve. Nigerian youths should be ready to take that which rightfully belongs to them by refusing to be deceived and used by those who believe they can always buy them over.
Some people believe that the youths need to have ‘ godfathers’ or undergo mentorship by old politicians before they can get to leadership position in this country. What is your reaction to this?
I do not agree with that stance, unless for youths who seek to toe the same line as the leaders who have retrogressed our nation over the years. When we talk about mentorship, we have in mind an ideal situation wherein an elderly person tutors a younger person on how to thrive well in a given facet of existence. It would be strange to encourage the Nigerian youths to undergo mentorship under the current crop of leaders and godfathers in the country, unless we are saying that we do not want to make progress as a people forever.
Who will mentor the Nigerian youth politically? Is it a man that believes that you have to buy votes on the election day, manipulate election results, perpetrate violence because of political power and make frantic efforts in recouping financial losses incurred during elections upon mounting the saddle of leadership? What we need at this point in time as a people is a brand new set of young politicians who will play politics in a manner radically different from the conventional way politics is played and has been played in Nigeria.
‘ Youths Will Use 2023 Elections To Consolidate On Their Gains So Far’
Olajide Ahmed Oseni is the All Progressive Congress ( APC) chairmanship candidate for Igando/ Ikotun Local Council Development Area ( LDCA) of Lagos State. He spoke to DANIEL ANAZIA.
Many people are saying the youths should now be strategising to take over governance, but that does not seem to be happening yet. What is your take?
IBEG to differ on the notion. It’s happening at local government level at least in Lagos and some other states in the Southwest. Politics is local; we have witnessed victory for youths in primary elections and endorsements by the older politicians. As 2023 approaches, you will see more young people indicate interest in one elective office or the other.
Do you think Nigerian youths are really ready to give the older politicians a challenge in 2023?
Yes we are ready; I challenged older politicians in 2019 and recently in my party’s chairmanship primary election. During both efforts, there were challenges and I did not give up. The 2023 will be a consolidation of whatever happens now.
In 2019, many young Nigerians floated political parties. Some even contested for the position of President but their performance was very poor. Why is it difficult for the youths to come together and line up behind one young presidential candidate?
I will say it is a result of ambition; we all are ambitious. For instance, it’s been tough for us to reach consensus on NANS presidency for decades now. It is, however, not new. During the 60s and military era, there were always two sides among the youths and it applies today. I think it will continue even in times to come.
The other challenge is that so much is expected from young leaders, hence when we evaluate them, they seldom pass. The marking scheme for leadership is basically how progressive the nation or state has been during your tenure. Like Julius Caesar says in De Bello Civile, “Experience is the teacher of all things” or more generally “experience is the best teacher.”
There is need for experience gathering, and this can only be gained when you move from one phase of political training to the other. For now, I will advise that those seeking to occupy the office of the president should first of all gain political experience. Some of these young presidential candidates have not really performed at their state level. No youth wants to fail politically. The bar has been raised and this makes it more difficult to find a desired candidate.
Why do you think many youths are not participating in politics?
There are a number of them. First, combining academics, building career/ business with politics is tough these days. Most political meetings are held when young people are at school, in the office or at their business centres trying to eke out a living for themselves. The second issue is the fear of failure. Most young people cannot afford loosing out. It’s tough to bear and not too good for our morale. Third is hostility of some older politicians. Many young people who have dared to participate can tell you that their presence threatens some older politicians, which have led to many unforeseen results.
What is your reaction to the plan to raise election spending in the draft Electoral Act before the National Assembly?
It’s a good development; election spending is similar to our daily spending. We all spend more on food and other needs now.
Many elderly politicians have posited that Nigerian youths are not ready for leadership. Do you agree with them?
I do not agree; most of them started at their youth and they did better when they were younger. The approach today is a blend of analog and digital unlike their era. It is expected that people of the analog era will see those who take advantage of the technology as lazy.
Every generation gets the kind of leadership that fits it. Today, we want to see things done faster and simpler. This lifestyle is why they say we are not ready as youths. If we judge a fish with the skill of a monkey, it will forever be seen as unproductive. The youths are the ones who understand the struggles of today. What the older politicians should do is to allow them play the roles that are exhausting and reserve advisory/ mentorship roles for themselves.
I agree with political mentorship but it can go on simultaneously while we take leadership positions. There is nothing wrong in making political mentors a prerequisite on election nomination forms by the political parties and electoral bodies. Historically, I can say that the issue with previous republics we have had was that young people who took power were not mentored. There is an urgent need to include political mentorship in screening exercise. It’s like references when seeking employment.
‘ Possibility Of Youths Uniting To Support A Sole Candidate Should Not Be Ruled Out’ By Seye Olumide, Rotimi Agboluaje ( Ibadan) and Daniel Anazia ( Lagos)
TOA former National Association Nigerian Students ( NANS) leader, Seyi Bamidele, the enactment of the Not Too Young To Run law was a watershed in Nigeria’s evolving democracy.
According to Bamidele, who is South- West Zonal Youth Leader of the Peoples Democratic Party ( PDP), Nigerian youths are ready to give the older politicians a challenge in the 2023 general election.
“I just set a precedence in the last PDP Southwest congress. I insisted that we must abide with the provisions of party constitution on age limit for the post of youth leader and that led to my emergence as the party’s youth leader in the zone.