Any unsuspecting member of the public would mistake the lowering of the age of eligibility to contest for public office through the passing of the “Not Too Young Bill” as an act or sign of encouragement or inclusion in political participation of the Youth by the Federal Government through its agency, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). Nothing could be further from the truth. INEC is desperately, shamelessly and vehemently against the participation of the youth in politics. It is a fact: INEC’s continuous victimization of the Youth Party; the dodgy clause 78(7) in the Electoral Bill where it seeks to restrict the democratic space to two big parties; and its refusal to conduct a year round continuous voters registration since 2017 until 28^th June, 2021, which would have made citizens who turned 18 years of age after the last registration process (April, 2017) eligible to vote and voted for, speaks volume to the same end. INEC is morphing into an enemy of democracy. Currently, all new registered voters who are largely youth (65% plus) have been banned from voting in the impending the Local Government Polls in Lagos and Ogun States by administrative fiat. And, they have already been disenfranchised from all the local government elections conducted since the last registration.

Youth Party

Youth Party commenced the process of registration in December 2016, and INEC was against us from the onset. We had to get a Court Judgment to be considered for registration at all. Essentially, we had to get a judgment to get an application form. A process that should not take 3 months according to the law took more than 2 years with dire consequences. Eventually, our Party was not registered until 14^th August, 2018, just a few days before the commencement of primaries for the 2019 general elections. This was despite a judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on 20^th October 2017 directing INEC to register the Party. This late registration of our Party affected our ability to perform at the 2019 general elections. Meanwhile, INEC was busy sponsoring the amendment of the Constitution in a manner that would empower it to deregister the Party immediately after the 2019 election. INEC sponsored the amendment of Section 225A of the Constitution, whilst delaying our registration. The said Section 225A was amended to require performance of parties at election, without giving any period to allow the parties to grow organically.  Nonetheless, we fielded 11 (Eleven) candidates for House of Representatives and States Houses of Assembly all over the country in those elections. 

Immediately after the 2019 election, INEC threatened to deregister our Party.

Consequently, we commenced a court action against INEC in January 2020, at the Federal High Court, Abuja. All other political parties that sued INEC were left off the deregistration list and the Commission cited pending litigation but not Youth Party.

INEC resorted to self-help unbecoming of an unbiased electoral umpire.

Subsequently, judgment was delivered in our favour on 12^th October, 2020. 

The dictum of Honourable Justice I.E. Ekwo of the Federal High Court in his judgment, in Youth Party v. INEC, is profound, where he held that:

the Defendant is not above the law. No person or parties to an action is allowed to resort to self help when an action is pending in Court. The claim that the Defendant has power pursuant to S.225A(b) & (c) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) to de-register a political party does not justify the action of the Defendant while this action is pending. The Defendant must understand that the constitution is not an author of confusion. I condemn the action of the Defendant as a wrong exercise of might. Therefore, the deregistration of the Plaintiff during the pendency of this action by the Defendant is illegal, null and void, and liable to be set aside. Consequently, I hereby make an order setting aside the de-registration of the Plaintiff”.

Subsequently, INEC appealed against the decision of the Federal High Court, Abuja and the Court of Appeal held, through a unanimous Judgment delivered by Hon. Justice T.Y. Hassan,J.C.A., that our purported deregistration was illegal, null and void, holding that:

“This Court will not hesitate to sustain the decision of the Lower Court which pulled down and dismantled the edifice that the Appellant built on self help when it deregistered the Respondent not only during the pendency of the Suit but when it had been served with and had reacted to the motion for interlocutory injunction seeking to restrain the Appellant from the very act it helped itself to actualize extra judicially.  To say the least, we find the Appellant action very reprehensible, the Lower Court as any court of law would have done, acted correctly by setting aside the deregistration of the Respondent. We have no reason to interfere with the order made by the Lower Court and same be sustained”

Despite the subsisting judgment of the Federal High Court that was upheld on appeal, which has neither been set aside nor stayed, INEC has refused to list our Party on its website as a registered Party or allowed us to participate in any election in the Country.  INEC is in continuous flagrant breach of the universally and constitutionally protected human rights of our members to freedom of association.

We have delivered several letters to INEC to allow our Party and its members participate in a number of bye-elections and local government elections, to no avail. Specifically, we were illegally and unfairly excluded from the bye elections in Lagos, Abia, Zamfara and Bayelsa; and the LG polls in Ondo, Sokoto, Bayelsa, Ekiti and Oyo States. INEC’s disgust for the Youth Party extends to rejecting any letter from them. 

Currently, the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) is about to conduct local government elections in Lagos States State and our Party wishes to field candidates and participate in the election. However, INEC has refused to confirm the status of our Party to LASIEC despite the judgments of Courts. Thus, Youth Party and its members are being denied the right to freely participate in the said upcoming local government elections in Lagos State. Most importantly, INEC’s actions are contemptuous and if allowed to continue, erodes public trust and belief in the Country’s electoral and judicial system as it now sits on appeal on Court’s judgements relating to Youth Party’s judgements. It chooses which judgement to obey like it just did with swiftness against Prof. Soludo in Anambra State. Fairness and justice are important for the progress of our Nation. 

Consequently, our Party, again, approached the Federal High Court in its bid to ensure participation in the forthcoming Lagos Council Election fixed for 24th July, 2021, and compel INEC and LASIEC’s to respect the rule of law, particularly obedience of judicial decisions. This Country belongs to all of us.

The Federal High Court, Lagos, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/625, before His Lordship, Honourable Justice Akintayo Aluko, granted an order of injunction in a case filed by the Youth Party on Monday, 12^th July, 2021. The Court ruled and granted our prayers after the application was argued eloquently by Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, S.A.N., wherein he narrated the “travails of the Youth”, that:

‘INEC and LASIEC are restrained whether by themselves, their agents, privies, employees, officers or anyone whosoever acting for them and on their behalf from conducting the forthcoming Lagos State Local Government elections scheduled for 24th July, 2021 or any other elections whatsoever to the exclusion of the Applicant.

In essence, any election conducted to the exclusion of Youth Party would be illegal, null and void: an exercise in futility. 

But the shamelessness and desperation of INEC is unabated. INEC filed a notice of appeal and application for stay of execution at the Supreme Court on Thursday, 15^th July,2021, after it has refused to obey the judgment. Now, every lawyer knows that a notice of appeal is not an appeal. An appeal is only entered when the records of the lower court has been transmitted to the appellate Court. Also, an appeal does not amount to a stay of execution. Most importantly, there is nothing to execute in the judgment as it is declaratory in nature and an application for stay is manifestly inapplicable

It is noteworthy that until the judgment against INEC is set aside, the position of the law is that Youth Party remains a registered political party in Nigeria and it is entitled to all the rights and privileges of a registered political party in Nigeria. Most importantly, INEC’s position is in flagrant breach of our members’ fundamental right to freedom of association as enshrined in the 1999 Constitution and as guaranteed by the United Nations Declaration. 

Disenfranchisement of the Youth through the Belated Continuous Voters Registration

Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) is an exercise meant for the registration of citizens who turned 18years of age after the last registration exercise; or those who for one reason or another could not register in the previous exercise. INEC released the modalities for running this exercise all year round through the local government offices in 2017 but none was done aside from the token exercise carried out in 2017 before the last election in 2019 (4 years ago).

Now, INEC opened up the registration process again on 28^th June, 2021, where people can register but THEY CANNOT VOTE. They are to register online and come in for the capturing of their photographs on 25^th July, 2021. Elections are happening in Lagos and Ogun States and it is only people registered before the 2019 elections that can vote. Lagos local government council elections are fixed for 24^th July, 2021-a day before your photograph can be mischievously captured. 

These new registered voters are mostly youth. A glance at the statistics of registered and registering voters reveals that the youth consists  of more than 65% of the total voters. The newly registered voters have been precluded by devious administrative fiat. INEC ensured that no CVR took place before now and ensures that the voters’ register to be used is the pre-2019 registers. 

Section 78 (7) of the Electoral Bill is the Death of Any Youth Focused Party  

The proposed provision which INEC is desperate to push through to kill the organic growth of political parties in Nigeria and subject everyone to the whims and caprices of APC and PDP requires a new party to win the presidency, governorship, national or State House of Assembly seat to continue existing. A party would not need to crawl before it walks? How would any newly registered party fulfil this requirement? How? They should just state that they are banning registration of new parties and deleting the constitutional provision for freedom of association instead of registering parties with the sole aim of deregistering them afterwards in bad faith.

Also, the desperation extends to breaching the extant constitutional provision on de-registration of Parties.

It will suffice to state that Section 225A of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (Fourth Amendment), gives INEC the powers to deregister a political party for-

• Breach of any of the requirement for registration;
• Failure to win at least twenty-five percent of votes cast in-
• One state of the Federation in a presidential election;
• One local government of the state in a governorship election.

(c) Failure to win at least-

• One ward in the Chairmanship election;
• One seat in the National or State House of Assembly election; or (iii) One seat in the Councillorship election.

The conflict between the constitutional provision above and the said Section 78 (7a) of the Bill is easily resolved in favour of the Constitution. But INEC based on its antecedents would deploy the illegal law and ask people to go to Court, which they have no respect for anyways.  Furthermore, limiting required winning to the Presidency, Governorship, National or State House of Assembly seat is bad policy as it will constitute a further restriction of the democratic space.

Also, deregistration of political parties which fail to meet constitutional requirements should be done through the Court. Not through an agency run by people appointed by their opponents. Deregistration is like taking life of a political association and it should not be done casually. Only a court can withdraw a banking license, not the Central Bank of Nigeria. We cannot complain that most political parties are an assembly of strange bed fellows, and at the same time discourage the organic growth and development of serious political parties that are committed to growing over a reasonable period of time. What is the issue with allowing political parties at least 5 years to win a seat?  Why is INEC reducing the functions and performance of Parties to ONLY winning elections? And we complain about desperate politicians when their regulator is creating the atmosphere. The functions of  political Parties include developing policies and ideas to move the country forward and acting as an effective opposition to the government of the day. Government is only as good as its opposition. 

Right to freedom of association is a constitutionally guaranteed fundamental human right pursuant to Section 40 of the Constitution. It should not be taken away without fair hearing as required by Section 36 of the Constitution. Failure to adhere to the spirit and letters of the aforesaid constitutionally-guaranteed rights would not only continue to restrict the democratic space but lead to avoidable and needless litigations. People with different political ideologies are being systemically forced to merge or die as they are not allowed to grown on their own, if INEC is allowed to have its way. For  

Whilst the number of political parties in Nigeria, which stood at 91(Ninety-One) at the last election, generated a lot of concern,  it is noteworthy that more advanced electoral systems have similar  numbers, for instance South Africa has 93, Brazil 33, USA 32, Ghana 24 and even the UK has 18 political Parties. The number of Parties is not a problem but the lack of proper and unbiased oversight. For example, many of the parties registered by INEC did not have verifiable offices as required by law and their officers were place holders. Similarly, many of the parties don’t file their financial records as required by law. We would not have had many unworthy parties, if INEC was carrying out its oversight role diligently. Waging war against the Youth is a bad omen for the Country and INEC should be called to order. 

In summary, INEC should be advised to allow the youth to participate in the political space in the interest of the Country: obey court orders by allowing Youth Party to participate; allow the youth to vote after registration; and, withdraw Section 78(7) of the Electoral Bill. The resort to tokenism of lowering the age of eligibility or asking for quotas in the bigger parties can only help, if there is a level playing field. INEC should also be advised to play its statutory impartial role as electoral umpire instead descending into the arena of political contests. On our part, we are committed to democratic processes and the respect for the rule of law. Most importantly, we believe in the expansion of the democratic space, where plural voices are encouraged. Sadly, the converse is the case today in Nigeria.

The Youth Party would like to thank our members and supporters for their commitment and support throughout the campaign leading up to the Lagos Local Government Elections that held yesterday, Saturday July 24, 2021.

Our Campaign was crowd funded and blessed with spirited supporters, even in the face of exclusion by LASIEC and INEC. Still, our supporters believe in the expansion of our democratic space and the possibility of a better Nigeria, and that conviction shone brightly.

Although there was no level paying field, our party won comfortably in several polling units. We were excluded from all processes leading to the Election. Supporters that registered to vote after 2018 were excluded from election by administrative fiat. Our votes were suppressed by the late arrival of voting materials, leading many of our voters to leave the polling units without having cast their votes. Materials arrived at 3:15pm for polls that closed at 3pm in some cases. Votes were cast in non-designated locations and inaccessible places including a Royal Palace. In many places, our voters were stopped from voting if they didn’t vote for the ruling Party. Despite all of these challenges, we presented capable and inspiring candidates, who campaigned vigorously and made their presence felt at the voting booth.

There are significant issues with Nigeria’s voting processes, especially for Local Government Elections and many of them were reflected in yesterday’s election. The Youth Party will continue to fight vigorously, at the polling booth and in courts of law, to enforce the rights of Nigerians to participate in the democratic space.

We are proud of our candidates, the campaigns they ran and our efforts at the elections, and grateful for the support of all of you who are passionate about building a better Nigeria and the expansion of the democratic space.

We await the final results of the election, knowing that this is not a sprint but a marathon. And we invite all those who share our vision to join us to shape a great and worthy future for Nigeria

Thank you all for your support.

God bless you and God bless Nigeria.

Tomiwa Aladekomo
National Chair

The Youth Party of Nigeria has lamented  over some shortcomings in the ongoing local government election in Lagos State.

In a statement, the party said the exercise recorded some logistics in certain areas.

“It is extremely disturbing to us that at noon, with only three hours left to vote, election materials have still not reached several polling units across the State (at least 20 that we’ve identified at this time), especially in key areas of Eti-Osa, Lekki.”

“Additionally there have been substantive and ill-intentioned efforts to confuse voters, with voting booths being moved in several places and talk of votes being ascribed to locations other wards.

“Voters are not being properly informed of their rights and agents are deliberately misleading candidates to disenfranchise them.

“Conversely, we are also seeing extensive cases of LASIEC officials allowing people to vote without proper accreditation, making it possible for voters to vote in multiple polling booths.

Suppression of the people’s right to vote is never acceptable and LASIEC is doing a grave disservice to the people to Lagos and Nigeria today. It must and will not stand.”

The Chairman of Youth Party, Tomiwa Aladekomo, has expressed concerns over some inadequacies in the conduct of some Lagos State Electoral Independent Commission, LASEIC officials at the on going local government elections.

Aladekomo stated that “it is extremely disturbing to us that at noon, with only three hours left to vote, election materials have still not reached several polling units across the State (at least 20 that we’ve identified at this time), especially in key areas of Eti-Osa, Lekki.

“Additionally there have been substantive and ill-intentioned efforts to confuse voters, with voting booths being moved in several places and talk of votes being ascribed to locations other wards.”

He also added that “Voters are not being properly informed of their rights and agents are deliberately misleading candidates to disenfranchise them.

“Conversely, we are also seeing extensive cases of LASIEC officials allowing people to vote without proper accreditation, making it possible for voters to vote in multiple polling booths.

“Suppression of the people’s right to vote is never acceptable and LASIEC is doing a grave disservice to the people to Lagos and Nigeria today. It must and will not stand,” he said.

The Youth Party (YP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of disenfranchising its members from contesting in the Lagos State Local Government Area chairmanship and councillorship elections scheduled for July 24, 2021.

It described the situation as a continuous victimisation of the party.

In a statement issued and signed by the Trustee of the party, Francis Akinlotan, yesterday the party accused INEC of refusing to list the party on its official website as a registered political party, and also refusing to confirm the party’s status to the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC), despite several court judgments.

Akinlotan said the party commenced the process of registration in December 2016, “and INEC was against us from the outset. We had to get a court judgment to be considered for registration at all cost.

“Essentially, we had to get a judgment to get an application form. A process that should not take three months according to the law, took more than two years with dire consequences.”

He said the party was eventually registered on August 14, 2018, just a few days before the commencement of primaries for the 2019 general election, despite a judgement of the Federal High Court delivered on October 20, 2017, directing INEC to register the party.

According to the statement, “The late registration of the party affected its ability to perform at the 2019 general election.

“Meanwhile, INEC was busy sponsoring the amendment of the constitution in a manner that would empower it to deregister the party immediately after the 2019 elections.

“INEC sponsored the amendment of Section 225a of the constitution, while delaying our registration. The said Section 225a was amended to require performance of parties at election, without giving any period to allow the parties to grow organically.

“Nonetheless, we fielded 11 candidates for House of Representatives and state Houses of Assembly all over the country in those elections. Immediately after the 2019 elections, INEC threatened to deregister our party.

“Consequently, we commenced a court action against INEC in January 2020 at the Federal High Court in Abuja. All other political parties that sued INEC were left off the deregistration list, as the commission cited pending litigation, but not with the Youth Party.”

Akinlotan accused INEC of continuously breaching the constitutionally guaranteed freedom of association of members of the party.

“Currently, the LASIEC is about to conduct local government elections in the state and our party wishes to field candidates and participate in the election.

“However, INEC has refused to confirm the status of our party to LASIEC despite the judgments of courts. Thus, the Youth Party and its members are being denied the right to freely participate in the upcoming local government elections,” he stated.

The Youth Party has said there was no level playing field in the just concluded local government election in Lagos State.

The president of the party, Tomiwa Aladekomo, said this on Sunday while addressing journalists on the irregularities they observed in Saturday’s election in the state.

Mr Aladekomo said some of the supporters of the party were disenfranchised because polling units were moved to intimidating places such as the Palace of Oba Elegushi at Lekki-Ikate.

Thousands of Lagosians on Saturday voted representatives for councillorship and local government chairmanship positions across all the 20 local governments and 37 LCDAs in the state.

The election, which was marred by low turnout of voters, had the ruling party, the All Progressives Congress (APC) win several seats.

Although election results for some LGAs are yet to be announced, APC won in Badagry, Epe, Shomolu, Bariga, Kosofe, Surulere and other areas.

‘Suppression of Votes’

The Youth Party leadership said votes in the Saturday election were suppressed due to late arrival of materials and other irregularities.

“We were excluded from all processes leading to the election. Supporters that registered to vote after 2018 were excluded from election by administrative fiat.

“Our votes were suppressed by the late arrival of voting materials, leading many of our voters to leave the polling units without having cast their votes. Materials arrived at 3:15pm for polls that closed at 3pm in some cases,” Mr Aladekomo said.

He added that votes were cast in non-designated locations and inaccessible places including a Royal Palace.

“For emphasis, the election in Lekki-Ikate was deeply flawed. Our supporters were unable to access the polling booth because 6 polling units in Ikate were moved to the Palace of Oba Elegushi. Specifically, polling unit 03 to 08 were moved to the palace thereby disenfranchising our supporters,” the party leader said.

Mr Aladekomo said despite that there was no level playing field, their party won comfortably in eight polling units “by a landslide.”

He, however, did not provide details of the polling units where his party won.

“Despite all of these challenges, we presented capable and inspiring candidates, who campaigned vigorously and made their presence felt at the voting booth.

“We are proud of our candidates, the campaigns they ran and our efforts at the elections, and grateful for the support of all of you who are passionate about building a better Nigeria and the expansion of the democratic space,” he said.

Alleged rigging

The party also accused adhoc staff of the Lagos State Independent Electoral Commission (LASIEC) of colluding with party agents and political associates to rig the election.

Ayo Adio, a member of the party, said the “shameless rigging” by APC was captured in some polling units, with videos and pictures circulated.

He made reference to the video of a woman caught voting on several ballot papers at one of the polling units in Lagos.

“There are significant issues with Nigeria’s voting processes, especially for Local Government Elections and many of them were reflected in yesterday’s election.

“In the three polling units at Igbokusu, our agents were harassed, threatened and chased away from their polling stations where ballots were stuffed and people voted multiple times with the collusion of LASIEC officials and the police.

“The kind of rigging and violence deployed in these polling units should embarrass the commission especially with the shameful videos of the rigging currently circulating the media space,” the party said.

Mr Aladekomo said the worst scenario recorded in the Saturday election was moving collation centres without notice to a different location where members of the party were harassed and intimidated.

“The Youth Party will continue to fight vigorously, at the polling booth and in courts of law, to enforce the rights of Nigerians to participate in the democratic space,” the party leader said.

He added that they have confidence in the leadership of LASIEC, headed by a retired Chief Judge of Lagos State, Ayotunde Phillips, and the party is sure the irregularities will be looked into.

The party urged the commission to cancel election results of areas where electoral malpractices were recorded.

“There is no way Justice Philips will tolerate the conduct of many of her staff who did several things to embarrass the Commission. We therefore call on her to cancel the elections in Igbokusu and Ikate where the elections were massively and shamelessly rigged.

“Another election should be conducted in Lekki Phase as well to redeem the credibility of the poll, We call for fresh elections in the affected polling units and urge the Commission to do everything possible to ensure that the conduct is free and fair,” Mr Aladekomo said.

The Youth Party has won a resounding victory today in our bid to ensure participation in the forthcoming Lagos Council Election fixed for 24th July 2021 and our perennial battle to ensure that INEC and LASIEC respect the rule of law, particularly obedience to judicial decisions.

The Federal High Court, Lagos, in Suit No. FHC/L/CS/625, before His Lordship, Honourable Justice Akintayo Aluko, granted the order of injunction in a case filed by the Youth Party and argued eloquently by Chief Bolaji Ayorinde, S.A.N., wherein he narrated the “travails of the Youth.”

The Court ruled and granted our prayers that:
‘INEC and LASIEC are restrained whether by themselves, their agents, privies, employees, officers, or anyone whosoever acting for them and on their behalf from conducting the forthcoming Lagos State Local Government elections scheduled for 24th July 2021 or any other elections whatsoever to the exclusion of the Applicant pending the determination of the Interlocutory Application, which has now been adjourned to Monday 19th July 2020.’
In essence, any election conducted with the exclusion of the Youth Party would be illegal, null, and void: an exercise in futility.

The Court’s decision is in line with the earlier judgment of the Federal High Court Abuja delivered by Honourable Justice I.E. Ekwo that declared the purported de-registration of the Party illegal, null, and void. Also, the Court of Appeal, Abuja, affirmed the decision of the lower Court and “found the action of INEC very reprehensive.”
The judgment at the lower Court is consequent to INEC’s persistent disregard for the rule of law and judicial decisions in failing to register the Party within the time stipulated in the law and preventing it from participating in elections illegally. The Electoral umpire failed to register the Party after it got a judgment against it in FHC/ABJ/CS/221/2017 between Chukwudi Adiukwu & Ors V. INEC delivered on 18th October 2017 until 14th August 2018, less than five days to the commencement of Party primaries in 2018. INEC further resorted to illegal self-help by illegally de-registering Youth Party while both of them were before the Federal High Court over the issue. INEC has taken the position of an immoral and biased electoral umpire.

Furthermore, INEC is currently refusing to list the Party on its website as a registered Party or allow it to participate in any election even in the face of an Appeal Court judgment, which had not been set aside or stayed.
Honourable Justice I.E. Ekwo in his judgment had held that:
“The Defendant is not above the law. No person or parties to an action is allowed to resort to self-help when an action is pending in Court”. The claim that the Defendant has the power pursuant to S. 225A (b) & (c) of the 1999 Constitution(as amended) to de-register a political party does not justify the action of the Defendant while this action is pending. The Defendant must understand that the constitution is not an author of confusion. I condemn the action of the Defendant as a wrong exercise of might. Therefore, the de-registration of the Plaintiff during the pendency of this action by the Defendant is illegal, null and void, and liable to be set aside. Consequently, I hereby make an order setting aside the de-registration of the Plaintiff.”

The ruling of the Federal High Court has put paid to the shameless resort to self-help, orchestrated by the collaborative efforts of INEC and LASIEC to stop the Youth Party’s commitment to the expansion of the democratic space, political ascendancy, and its bid to prevent the rot in the political space.

Once again, we thank the Nigerian Judiciary for giving us hope that the rule of law is still sacrosanct and the judiciary is the hope of our democracy.

For many reasons, Nigeria seems to be a disappointment to her citizens. Regardless, we owe our country certain duties and it behoves us, the youth, to show the world that we are indeed a country with great potential. How else can we prove that we are the leaders of tomorrow?

As the elections come around in a few years, there are two things that I believe we owe our country. The first duty is political participation-being involved in those activities that influence or shape the political arena. Political participation is not limited to exercising the right to vote or be voted for. It also involves activities such as signing petitions, participating in peaceful rallies, and lobbying for better laws.

The depth of our politicians’ hunger for power is displayed in the ways they use the media and other means to discredit their opponents. Today, politicians are more concerned with fighting and discrediting their opponents than they are with actually governing the people. Votes are often bought and people are canvassed to decide their fate for the next four years based on handouts such as foodstuff and money, amongst other things. How can a bag of rice or a few naira notes determine who you vote for? We need to educate ourselves about the consequences of such poor judgement, and make efforts to reach and educate those who don’t have access to the information that will enable them make better political choices.

We also need to get more actively involved in politics or governance through signing of petitions, and peaceful campaigns for laws that address flaws in the system that should be corrected. There is a saying that, ‘Heaven helps only those who help themselves’. Let us start taking a few steps to save our country, instead of expecting God to save us without doing anything ourselves. We must make an effort to change things through voting.

The second duty we owe to our country is patriotism. We have become a country that continuously points out our ethnic differences. There’s rhetoric of bigotry and ethnic stigma, and it is trying to tear us apart. Our religious and ethnic differences have become more glaring than they ought to be. We have replaced love with fear, tolerance with insurgency, and patriotism with greed and selfishness. We need to participate in politics in order to make a direct impact on society.

However, political participation has to be sensible in order to achieve the effects desired. We need to scrutinize and properly research the candidates for whom we are voting before casting our votes. It is best not to limit our views to hearsay and prejudice based on ethnicity or religion, which, all too often, seems to be the case these days. In this country, belonging to a tribe or an ethnic group seems to come before being a Nigerian. Some people never get the chance to marry those they truly love because of tribal differences. This is not just limited to marriage; however, it stretches into national matters such as voting along tribal/ethnic lines during elections. Such narrow-minded views drag our country backwards. As the youth, we have to remove these shackles that are holding our country down, through deliberate action.

The American and British people are known for putting their countries first, breeding some of the most patriotic citizens in the world. Their countries also rank among the most developed countries in the world today. We should learn from such countries and, as youths, try to promote ‘One Nigeria’ through the various talents and resources we have. Our ethnic differences should bind us together rather than pull us apart. Our country should always come first regardless of whatever tribe we come from. The best way to move Nigeria forward is to stand united.

The Youth Party has condemned the Federal Government over its decision to indefinitely suspend the operations of the microblogging and social networking service, Twitter, in Nigeria.

The Party described the government’s hasty decision as a brazen infringement on the rights and dignity of Nigerians. The party stressed that the freedom of expression and access to information is an inalienable right that is sacrosanct and non-negotiable.

In a statement released on Twitter by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, government attributed the suspension to what it termed “the persistent use of the platform for activities that are capable of undermining Nigeria’s corporate existence.”

The Minister said the Federal Government has also directed the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) to immediately commence the process of licensing all OTT and social media operations in Nigeria”, added Segun Adeyemi, the Special Assistant To The President (Media).

But the Party, in a statement by its National Chair, Tomiwa Aladekomo, said the decision is illegal, unconstitutional and an attempt by the government to gag Nigerians.

According to him, “We strongly condemn the actions of the Federal Government banning the operations of Twitter in Nigeria as it grossly violates the rights of Nigerians to expression and access to information.

“This unnecessary and rather unfortunate decision is not only an attempt by the President Muhammadu Buhari-led government to shrink the social media space in its bid to silent Nigerians but it amounts to an assault on citizens constitutionally guaranteed freedom of expression.

“It is strange and quite worrying that the government would consider a ban on Twitter or any other media outfit, not minding the economic and social consequences of it’s action; another sign of a government that is out of touch with realiaties of young, vibrant and technologically savvy population.

Tomiwa further called for the immediate reversal on the ban and for government to redirect its energy and resources in addressing the spate of kidnappings, banditry, secessionists’ attacks and other criminal activities that have continued to violently claim the lives of thousands of innocent Nigerians on a daily basis.

Bokoharam has one purpose now, and that is to govern. This mission makes the terrorist group a far more significant threat to Nigeria’s sovereignty than we ever imagined. Expectedly, their most important weapon of warfare is not their recently acquired anti-aircraft missile, nor the dynamism of their guerrilla tactic; it is their effective propaganda machine – one that targets hearts and minds. This war machine is proving even more effective as the Nigerian government (including state and local governments) is spectacularly failing to provide essential social services to people in remote communities in the North East and North West.

In its bold attempt to establish its caliphate, Boko-Haram is modeling its approach after ISIS at the height of its prominence when it controlled 45,377 square kilometers (about the size of Kano, Ogun, and Rivers state put together) between Iraq and Syria. When ISIS took over cities like Mosul, Fallujah, and Raqa, it embarked on a widespread campaign to disseminate its ideology among the local population by using various media productions such as al-Naba’s, a weekly newspaper, and al-Bayan Radio, a broadcast radio station. Bokoharam, on the other hand, has found an effective way of using social media and digital technology to drive a disinformation campaign and to spread its ideology.

Unfortunately, and somewhat naively, the Nigerian government has continued to view Boko haram terrorists as merely a renegade army rather than a group of zealots who dream of establishing a new system of government and imposing their ways on the Nigerian people. Nigeria would approach this warfare with broader counterterrorism measures to win the information warfare and defeat the terrorists on the battlefield if it knew better. At the moment, the government seems to be ceding that ground to the terrorists. For some locals in remote villages in the North, Boko haram is the only group offering them a sense of belonging, giving them hope and identity. In contrast, the government is notoriously absent. There is a tiny provision of basic amenities, and the state is unable to protect them. What option do you think they are left with?

When people can no longer genuinely feel the presence or impact of the Nigerian state, the promise of a caliphate becomes a much appealing proposition. It is for this precise reason that the terrorists are brutally effective and extremely dangerous. The Nigerian government has no story to tell, and it is not even attempting to create one to inspire hope and patriotism.

It doesn’t matter if the Service Chief’s are changed often or how much we budget for the Nigerian Army. As long as the terrorists tell a better story, our bullets will be no match for their weapons of warfare. While it is essential to continue strengthening our military, this war cannot be won with just boots on the ground or fighter jets in the air. If in doubt, ask the Americans about their 18-year experience in Afghanistan.