The Guardian gathered that of the 15,336 candidates on the ballot in the elections, 4,398 are youths, 1,899 of these are between 25 – 30 years.For instance, in the House of Representatives, there is a fall from 27.4 per cent in 2019 to 21.6 per cent in 2023, while that of the State House of Assembly dropped from 41.8 per cent in 2019 to 35.6 per cent in 2023.
“First and major challenge I had was acceptance of my person. I stayed some miles away from my constituency and selling my candidacy has been a big challenge, I was seen as somebody who has come to take from them and run away. “All these challenges would have been easier if money was so much available. Finance is the father of all the challenges. Money would have been a tool to sell my candidacy to the constituents, and also, enhance my popularity during campaigns.
“Moving around the Constituency comes at a cost, especially while engaging the electorate. Donations after each engagement are the norm. “As campaigns intensify, I do my best to remind the electorate that voting is not only their right, but also our responsibility as citizens to elect candidates who will be accountable and will serve the collective interest of the people.
The AAC Candidate alleged that some people are out there to make it difficult for young candidates, which has slowed down their level of mobilisation towards the coming elections. “They stop us from posting our posters and banners. They threaten us and force people from sharing our flyers. This ought not to be, this is clear intimidation and oppression.
“Though there are campaign teams, as well as independent volunteer groups that are working, logistics have been a challenge. “There is also the challenge of getting the right set of people within the constituency who are ready to take advantage of one especially given the economic situation of the country.
He maintained that the “highly monetised” party primaries shrank the political space and limited fair competition, saying most young aspirants declined to pursue their political aspirations due to non-affordability of the forms and lack of resources to procure delegates. He said that public perception of youth leadership affects the emergence of youth candidates in elections, noting that young people are perceived as inexperienced and ill prepared for public leadership, hence, the limits placed on youth participation in politics.
“Media organisations should prioritise coverage of youth candidates. Adequate airtime should be provided to young male and female candidates to provide visibility for youth candidates and improve public perception of youth candidates. According to her, Nigeria’s democracy needs to have people represented saying, if young people are the majority of Nigeria’s population, then younger people should be in office.
The Lab also profiled the story of young people that won elections and also looked at how to support young people to run and win elections, because the 2023 elections ought to be elections for the youth.