Anyebe Victor, Abuja
Despite the democratic rule in Nigeria that the country “boast” to practice through constitutional amendments and laws to support it, the activities the of country could be best described as a Banana Republic where everything is possible.
Her Youthful population is now described as a curse owing to high rate of crime due to unemployment that has now become the new norm.
The Political landscape tends to beam a light for a prospective future for the youth especially when the NotTooYoungToRun bill was passed into law.
Meanwhile, Democracy as widely accepted is a system of government where laws, policies, leadership and major undertakings of a state or other polity are directly or indirectly decided by the people.
In simple words, it is of the people, by the people and for the people.
With this definition, one would wonder why and how the democracy would have its course in Nigeria when so much money is spent on getting just the nomination form alone and then spend huge amount of money to campaign afterwards then still spend another to rig election.
Nigeria is gradually failing with unpatriotic and uncivilized politicians who unfortunately got into the corridors of power through illegal means.
It is unheard of for a political party to peg its presidential form for N100m. Who exactly are they trying to prevent? That is a story for another day.
When I see young people celebrating today and making jest that most people seeking political leadership under the APC can’t afford to pick nomination forms, I fear for the next elections because events leading to such time will be lethal as those people who will win this circle.
The #NoTooYoungToRun campaign was to allow participation of young capable people into public service. The APC led government signed this into law then turned around to hike the prices of Nomination forms for offices beyond the reach of young people to the advantage of the cabals and forces that has always been.
The high cost of nomination forms by the ruling APC is clearly a message to the young people that it is better to acquire money at all cost, including; stealing, rituals, kidnapping etc as long as you are rich enough to be eligible for political participation.
The main opposition party PDP is by extension not left out because if they can makes theirs to be:
- N41m – Presidential
- N21m – Governorship
- N3.5m – Senate
- N2.5m – House of Reps
- N600k – House of Assembly.
Then it is highly unreasonable if they as a party should criticise the ruling party APC. The question is; will they not hike the nomination forms as well if they were to be in power?
The man President Buhari in 2014 that most Nigerian Youths all contributed monies for to obtain the presidential form at N21m, the same man who signed the “No too young to run bill” into law with a promise to handover power to youths in 2018.
He’s today the chairman of NEC of his political party alongside his APC leaders hike the presidential nomination form fee to a whopping sum of N100m.
Where will the “lazy Nigerian Youths” according to him get such money?
It is unfortunate that a country where hunger, strife, unemployment, insecurity, disunity, economic hardship, decaying educational system and a dwindling standard of living has become normal, the APC has slammed a N100m price tag on Nigerians wishing to vie for the presidential position on its platform and it is ridiculously appalling that the youths that averagely earns N30,000 only as the so called minimum wage is expected to get into politics in Nigeria with the way things stands?
In Nigeria, it is now the case of “The more you look, the less you see”.
Nigerian Youth will at the end will be used as the usual tool for campaigns, electioneering and ‘rigging’.
What is even more worrisome is that Nigerian Youth are always ready and willing to be used as tools for these vices because of paltry sum at the detriment of mortgaging their “future” if one ever exist.
While the already wealthy politicians are still being contributed for to purchase the nomination forms, the Nigerian Youth looks headlong with no one to buy for them.
Considering the above, there is no gainsaying that the Nigerian Youth are still TooYoungToRun.