Jega urges youth involvement in politics to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy

Prof. Attahiru Jega, former chairman of the Independent Nation Election Commission(INEC), has called on youths in the country to increase their involvement in politics ahead of the 2027 general election.

Jega stated this on Thursday at a public lecture organised by Federal University of Kashere (FUK) in Kashere Town of Akko Local Government Area of Gombe State, with the theme: “Elections and Good Governance in Nigeria.”

He stated that meaningful youth involvement was crucial for strengthening and sustaining democracy in Nigeria.

According to him, youth inclusion in politics will help tackle some of the challenges in governance and bring in fresh ideas towards solving the problems in governance.

He said that since the ballot remained a key route to renewing leadership in any democracy, the youths should not be indifferent about it but embrace the process to effect positive change in leadership.

“The participation amongst youths in politics is declining in spite of the improvement being recorded in the electoral process since 2011.

“Youths must ensure they participate by registering to get their permanent voter card for those who have turned 18 and then get involved going forward to voting and belonging to political parties.

“If you don’t participate, then you will allow the prevailing bad tendency to be more consolidated and deepened,” he said.

Jega who was the guest speaker at the event said that many youths had lost faith in the electoral system because of the attitude of some politicians who do not deliver on their campaign promises.

He said that some youths had expressed frustration with governance in Nigeria, arguing that “democracy has failed us but I tell you democracy has not failed us only the operators did.”

He said that the poor performance of some public servants resulting in bad governance and lack of trust in the electoral process amongst others had discouraged most youths from participating in politics.

According to him, the above reasons was the reasons youths are supporting military coup whenever it happens in any African country because of the failure of politicians in various capacities.

Jega called on the government and all stakeholders to work more to improve electoral integrity through good governance and transparency and efficiency of the process to encourage youth involvement in politics.

On his part, Prof. Umaru Pate, the Vice Chancellor, FUK said that the lecture was coming at a time when Nigeria continued to search for pathways to democratic renewal, institutional trust, and stronger governance.

Pate said that the event was part of its institution’s efforts at deepening civic education, stimulating critical reflection, and connecting scholarship with the lived realities of the people.

“Across Nigeria, we face a crisis of public trust, declining civic engagement, rising misinformation, and persistent governance challenges.

“Yet, we also see the resilience of citizens, the commitment of institutions, and the determined push for reforms that can strengthen our democracy.

“To shape a better future, we must continue to draw lessons, expand conversations, and inspire leaders at all levels,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion, Mr. Dapo Olorunyomi, Publisher, PremiumTimes said that a lot of improvement had been made by INEC since it introduced the use of technology in the conduct of election from 2011.

Olorunyomi urged the government and relevant agencies to continue to leverage technology to improve the system and add value to electoral process.