YOUTH & VOTERS

YOUTH & VOTERS

In the UK there are 5 main political parties that aim to be in power and win the elections. Each party must tackle different agendas such as: economy, crime, health and education that affect the entire country. They must demonstrate how they aim to regulate each agenda. The economy is the key issue during any election campaign. Politicians must show how they will stimulate recovery from the longest recession in modern times. The main 3 parties: Conservative, Labour and Liberal Democrats have all put tax, financial regulation and public spending at the top of their agendas. They have clearly stated in their manifestos (which are readily available to the public) their different but transparent approaches to resolve main issues. Based on their manifestos, voters are able to make an informed decision on which party gets their vote.



These manifestos are very user friendly and any literate person would understand the different stand points each political parties take. I commend that they are able to transcend various socio-economic classes and get the mass to cast a vote. It is a fair voting process, absent of corruption and whereby politicians are genuinely forced to listen to listen to the needs of the nation, assess what the main issues are and most importantly set out a detailed guide for a resolution.


The central parts of any election are the politicians and the voters. The latter must be able to identify with the party’s ideologies and ideally the politician should persuade and convince the voter that their approach for resolution is the best. Is it any wonder that in the UK with a population of over 60 million people, over 75% of the nation voted taking into consideration that under 18’s are not allowed to vote. Meanwhile in Nigeria, with a population of over 150 million people about 20% voted in the last general election. I am still skeptical about these figures as they are received from local newspapers in Nigeria. It is not readily accessible public information.




For a country that is rife with corruption and rigging I would be very naive if I did not expect these figures to be exaggerated- there are over 20 political parties in Nigeria which is rather overwhelming. How can one make an informed decision on who to vote for, who has the best policies and track record of fairness? It is an almost impossible task to find the manifestos for each of these political parties. Besides who will read it when majority of the population are illiterate? As a Nigerian citizen I would like to know how each party aims to tackle key issues such as power supply, clean water, education, poverty, healthcare, the list goes on... As a journalist, if I am unable to find out what each party stands for, I am baffled at how over 20 million people were able to make an informed decision and vote. It all seems a bit shady to me! Furthermore, I have heard rumours of results being declared in states where elections were not held. How can an election be said to be fair when all citizens are not given an equal opportunity.



Do not take offence but I am tired of seeing old, weary politicians with frail bodies and archaic mindset ruling Nigeria. Who needs aged but powerful men ruling our nation, after all this has not worked. We need fresh young forward thinkers who can engage with the average Nigerian. We need educated, vibrant, cultured and worldly people to push this country into the 21st century. I am frustrated by leaders who are stuck in the 50’s and very complacent about serious issues in Nigeria like the lack of electricity which is killing our economy; even God said ‘Let there be Light!’ But these stubborn and greedy people we call government just aim to serve their pockets and not the nation or their people. I would love to see a Nigerian man or woman in their later twenties run for presidency. Politicians need to understand that if we the voters cannot relate to them, we will feel no need to vote at all. Ask any youth between the age of 18-25 what their viewpoint is on politics, what policies of PDP they agree with, who is the leader of the National Democratic Party, or simply when they last voted? You will receive confused and blank expressions as if you were asking them to translate hieroglyphics. Politics does not seem to appeal to the youth anymore- that is a major problem. If the children are our future, but they do not participate in shaping the future, are we not missing something? I believe that until every individual believes they can make a difference, that their voice is heard and most importantly that they can make a difference and not overlooked because of their age, and we have fair, corrupt free elections a large amount of the Nigerian population will never vote. What a shame!

(This article was published in PM Newspaper on Wed 14th April 2010. Written by Fade Ogunro)