It is yet another perplexing endeavour putting my thoughts in print. It is increasingly becoming difficult for me to attempt any intervention in the series of political discourse as they unfold in Kogi state. This is not for want of what to say but as a result of such barrage of sordid tales that have reverberated hoarsely around the state in such a short while, so much that one is at a loss on which should be addressed first and fast. Yet, I am compelled by posterity to for once shift my attention from the political gladiators to the electorate themselves – especially we, the youths, arguably on whose shoulders the rise or fall of this state squarely rests.
In the days leading up to Kogi’s gubernatorial election in November 2015. No thanks to the the PDP agents who never see the beauty of APC under the able leadership of late Prince Abubakar Audu and Hon James Abiodun Faleke.
So to vote, I needed to travel to a village in Igalamela LGA where I would be out of reach due to the poor mobile network coverage in that area. Given the risk of violence during Nigerian elections, I grudgingly accepted that the smart and safe thing to do was to stay home.
To make up for it, I campaigned strongly for my preferred candidates, Audu Faleke. I hoped with their wealth of experiences, they would stamp out large-scale corruption and inefficiency which had characterized the administration of Captain Idris Wada. So I went about campaigning. In public transport buses. In bars. At school. At work. I did this much to the annoyance of family members and some friends. But I didn’t care.
Like me, many other young people embraced the opportunity to get involved, likely for the first time, in the process of electing a governor. When late Audu majority of the LGA’s that year it felt like an epochal event. It was the first time in Kogi’s history a sitting governor had been removed by the public’s vote. Young people truly felt empowered and believed they had played a major role in determining their future.
But it’s been a disappointing start. Due to uncertainty and a general lack of faith in this government’s policies, investors have begun to pull out of the economy leading to fears of an uptick in already high unemployment figures.
While I don’t see the point of apologizing for exercising a right to vote in good faith, I worry about something much more important. The next elections are less than one year away and, on current evidence, voter apathy, especially among pensioner/workers, is a strong possibility.
Personally, I put a lot of energy into the 2015 elections as did many young people and being let down by the current administration feels like being conned.
A crucial mistake in 2015 was not asking enough questions and focusing blindly on kicking out a weak leader. In 2019, better questions must be asked, plans and promises must be scrutinized and facts have to be checked.
Everyday I speak to young people like me and the overbearing emotion is weariness. The elections were draining and took a toll on friendships on and off of social media. Most people I know do not look forward to repeating the process. To make things worse, none of the current crop of politicians offer anything different. They simply represent the old brigade who, despite repeated failures, continue to hold on to power.
It will take much more to win back the confidence of a young generation of voters who, just when they began to think they could change things, have seen them remain the same.
I asked a friend who walked 20 Km on election day to cast his vote and strongly campaigned for people to vote regardless of their choice if he would repeat the process again in 2019. “ Not a chance ,” he said. “Not even if my father is contesting .”
– Alfa Tijani
