Guest Interview@ITREALMS:
The governorship candidate of the Hope Democratic Party (HDP) in the forthcoming governorship election in Osun State, Wole Adedoyin, in this interview told ITREALMS correspondent that participation and involvement of Nigerian youth in politics will be active in the forthcoming 2019 general elections.
Excerpts.
How was the
idea of the having a youth platform born?
It was born out of passion and commitment to contribute
meaningfully to the growth and development of the country and the fact that the
youth of the country needs a conducive platform to exercise their political rights.
There are millions of youths out there who are interested in politics but they
don’t have the resources, platforms, means and wherewithal to actualize their
vision.
Give a brief
description of the platform, including what your structure is?
The National Interparty Youth Alliance (NIYA) was founded
for card-carrying youths of different political parties irrespective of their
party programmes, ideology and mission. Youth Arise for 2019 “YAF19” is a
platform initiated for youths who are interested in participating in the
forthcoming 2019 general elections while the Youth Alliance for Politics “YAP”
is a general platform for youth to brainstorm, share ideas and think-tank on
ways of actualizing their vision. For over three weeks now we’ve have been
talking and discussing with over twenty national chairmen of different
political parties to allow some passionate youths who are also our members and have shown their
interest in contesting the forthcoming elections under their parties for free. Majority
of these youths are well known in their respective domains and truly grass
rooted. Our mission is to look for a platform for them to contest. Currently we
have members across the states of the Federation which cut across different
political parties.
What is your
take on the current level of youth participation in politics?
Youths are not showing much interest in practical politics.
When I say practical politics, I mean youth involvement in politics whereby
they officially belong to a registered political party, obtain their membership
card, attend meetings and pay prescribed subscriptions or dues as authorized by
the constitution of such political party. Well, I can say lack of funds hinders
some of them. Youth don’t take politics serious in Nigeria. You will always see
them where they share money, rice, detergent, bournvita, clothes and semolina.
Well, our politicians called that stomach infrastructure. Many youth have sold
their future and rights through this. Some of them don’t even know the meaning
of party ideology; they are not ready to know the principles behind the
formation of the party in which they are members. All they are after is their
stomach and selfish interest. If you ask anyone of them to tell you their
party’s programmes, you will be baffled with their response. They will only
tell you what they hear on radio and read in newspapers. Some of them don’t
even know that a typical political party has what they called “Manifestoes”.
Some of them don’t even read. That is why when they argued on issues related to
the political and economic problems of the country they argued blindly.
You have a big
task ahead of you, what are the key challenges you will face?
One of the major challenges we are facing right now is the
issue of finance. We currently lack funds to execute some of our brilliant
ideas and programmes. We need to print more IEC materials to sensitize more
youth. Approach different registered political parties to cooperate with us.
Another challenge is the poor operation of the NOT TOO YOUNG TO RUN. Currently,
we don’t see any impact the initiative is making apart from the fact that it
gives young people the right to contest and be voted for. Only the children of
the rich people are benefiting from the initiative. No registered political
party will render any service for you free of charge. They can never use their
resources for you if you are not financially useful for the party. Even if your
village oracle tells them you will win, you must still drop something. The
initiators of this laudable project should seek for international support to
create an endowment fund for this. Any youth who is poor and passionately
interested to run for any office with good blueprints and programmes can apply
for support.
How do you
hope your programme will help to contribute to greater participation of young
people in politics in Nigeria?
It is already making a positive impact. We shall soon
publish the names of some of those who have benefited from our project. We
don’t want any interested youth to be unserious members of any registered
political party. We want them to be card-carrying members who must also have
sense of belongings and have 100% rights in such parties. They must know what
such parties stand for, manifestoes, programmes and blueprints. They must
differentiate between a politician who have their interest and that of the
nation in his or her heart rather than pursuing his or her selfish ambition.
Are young
people eager to get involved in politics in Nigeria?
If you say a progressive politics I will say no. But if it
is stomach infrastructure politics I will say yes. A typical Nigerian youth
nowadays during campaign if they are offered N500 or N1000 would tell you to
get yours too because once they (politician campaigning) enter, you will never
get anything from them again. This is the way a typical Nigerian youth thinks
nowadays. They believed that the little stipend they always collect from
candidates contesting for any election is their right. They are even the one
given those politician the strength to embezzle when they get there. Because to
a typical Nigerian politician the money they spent during and every elections
is an investment which they hope to get back when they win such election. That
is why most of them make it a do or die election. Some of them would even go
ahead selling their personal properties and family assets to actualize their
goal of winning such election. And some would even kill their strong opponents
which they think might pose a threat to their selfish ambition. Nigerian youths
are not ready to run for national development but ready to enrich their
pockets.
How did you
venture into politics?
My venturing into politics is a long story but I’ve chaired
political parties like Peoples Mandate Party (PMP), Democratic Front for People
Federation (DFPF), United Progressive Party (UPP) African Peoples Alliance
(APA) and Hope Democratic Party (HDP). I was also a former Oyo state secretary
of the Coalition for a New Nigeria (CNN), Conference of Nigeria Political
Parties (CNPP) and the Interparty Advisory Council (IPAC).
What are your
plans for youth in the state?
I have promised Osun state youths to create youth centers
aimed at educating, advocating, empowering and making them independent through
vocational and technical training in field like tailoring, catering, carpentry,
computer engineering, bakery, photography, lamination, computer operation, bead
making, videography, arts and crafts, publishing and others. We are already
consulting with experts and professionals in different professional fields on
logistics and financial implications of such venture.
What is your
advice to your fellow Nigerian youths?
I will implore them to take politics serious and stop
following all those selfish political leaders who are using them for their
selfish ambitions. They should always think of their future and their
generations yet unborn. There are currently 68 registered political parties in
Nigeria, PDP and APC are only part of them. They are free to join any one of
the 68 registered political parties. If APC and PDP are not conducive for you
to achieve your ambition, then try other parties.
Youths shouldn’t be thinking that the only way of making
fast money is by joining politics. Politics should be seen as voluntary and not
as profession. If anyone is fully active in politics, he or she must make sure
there is job to support ones political ambition. So youth shouldn’t take
politics as job but as vocation.
Ayo Midele/GEE
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