 Welcome back. Time for our first conversation right here on the breakfast. Will the 2023 presidential election, will it be a defining moment for the Nigerian youth and the future of Nigeria? Now the most recent independent National Electoral Commission, INAG voters registration data suggests that youth have a historic role to play in the forthcoming election. They have an incredible demographic advantage and if they choose to, can decide the outcome of the election in a way they deem favorable to Nigeria. Now INAG recently released the updated voter registration data showing the distribution by age group. The data revealed that 37.06 million registered voters are constituting 39.65% are youth between the ages of 18 and 34 and 33.4 million which equals 35.75%. Well middle aged persons between the ages of 35 and 49 are in the 18.94% category or 17.7 million of them. Also elderly voters between the ages of 50 and 69 are or amounts to 5.2 million that's a 5.66% and these are senior citizens aged 70 and above. Now the independent National Electoral Commission also has said that youth constitute the highest number of voters who vote in the February 25 and March 11 elections with 48 million out of the entire 93.5 million eligible voters. Now this age group still makes about 40% of the registered voters and if properly mobilized according to political analysts it can tilt the balance of the political election. So we have a guest at the program on standby this morning of course to do justice to this topic looking at are youths open to the political process than we have thought of in the past you know are they able to make a determining you know deciding impact as far as elections are concerned. They've always participated in the political process by joining political parties you know participation participating in election campaigns and activities engaging with the parties government officials you know for taking in community activities and all all political activities that we can talk about but how would they be decisive in determining who becomes Nigeria's next president. Suleiman Konday is a public affairs analyst his guest joining us from Abuja. Suleiman once again good morning and thank you very much for your time. Good morning and thank you for having me. Do you agree with the analysis by some political pundits that the young people looking at INEX voter register that they will be the deciding factor in tomorrow's election? Yeah there is no doubt that the youth constitute the bulk part of the electoral population as released by INEX but at the same time we must get something right right from the time when they know you are not too young to run the deal or sign into law. I think that was the first paradigm shift in youth participatory in our politics. It's not just serving as voters this time also being part of the electoral process and also standing for elections as youth because most of the problem the bedeviling this nation has to do with what affect the youth generally. So we believe that if youths are also trusted with positions of power they have a lot to contribute as far as politics and leadership in Nigeria is concerned. So for the 2020 election it will be largely shaped by youth just like the statistics you just rolled out now more than 40 percent of people that will be voting in this election are youth but another thing we have to look at is that I think I will be looking forward to that when we look at the turnout voters. So let's also compare if 40 percent are youth that will be voting how many of these percentage will be turning out on the day of election I will look forward to that. So as far as this election is concerned it is for the youth and they have a very huge role to determine who becomes the next president or the next senator the next governor of the February public of Nigeria. So this is youth o'clock. This is youth o'clock indeed I just going to give you what we have to take that that's that of you indeed but are we are we over emphasizing on the importance of the youth vote because if you look at the previous elections I'm sure we can agree that young people were still out there you know voting you look at those who are going for campaigns those who even even being mobilized by these parties to go and wear the t-shirts of their favorite parties and candidates those who carry the placards those who go for the rallies you know those who are who are popular who fill the buses from the different local governors to go for the rallies you know those who are even still and snatch ballot boxes these are young people so is it a new thing in 2023 how has it been there before now? No it has always been there don't forget the age group that has the energy at this youth so they will always be available to do things like political rally and in few cases you understand devices and the backside of election are also perpetrated by this same youth but at the same time let's look at the bigger picture of the huge role this youth has to play in the election process as far as Nigeria is concerned so and I think we're not over emphasizing and not giving a lot of not not making it look as if the youth has more role than any other person it is the truth one good thing is that statistics is online if you have a demographic that represent 40 percent of the voting population I think that demographic should be taken very very serious and away from that if you also look at it the let's look at it from the not too young to run a bill most of the people that make the bill to become a reality they are mostly youths and most of the federal ass of red members or state of assembly members in 2019 election there's a lot of revelation that comes across but we have a lot of youths that got elected into elective position so we're just hoping that 2020 will not be different whoever will not have a lot of youth that will also be vying for election and I think if I if my record get if I get my record right these 2020 election did not even have a lot of young people contesting for president so but at least in other elective positions we have youth that will be vying for various election so we're not over emphasizing this is the youth's time and what do you just need to do is that we need to take advantage of this as I said democracy is not just about voting you can also be voted in so you should also start participating and I think one of the one thing we are getting wrong as a youth is that we just want to get this in at the platter of good you have to engage you have to also be part of the political process join the political party take part in primary election let the party present you for this same election no matter what if you make the ballot paper it's a very big win in the first place so the day of the winning world will surely come so it has to be a process democracy itself is a process it don't just happen happen overnight so you should get involved you've talked about the fact that you know it's there's not a new phenomenon of having a lot of young people being part of the you know the voter register or participating in in the electoral process so so you've made some points but particularly about 2023 what will be different about the youth vote in 2023 when compared to 2019 2015 and other preceding elections okay I think what will be different is that in 2023 only 2019 or 2015 the youths have a lot of a kind of energy and they show a kind of a zeal they have never shown before let me take you to the N Sars protest N Sars protest was coordinated by youth funded by youth mobilized by youth among other things but where they all just got it wrong is that let it ask a leadership you understand so one thing I think lesson is learned from the N Sars protest the energy is there the zeal is there the commitment is there but at a point the whole movement lost its space because it does not have a kind of leadership direction that will say oh this is where we are going and this to the extent we are going so in 2023 election just like we have it in previous election youths are coming out this time not just coming out they're also coming out to vote for someone that will solve both of their problems because both of the problem we have in this country youths are the most affected right from employment after school children even under employment and everything any social biases this demography are the most affected so it is time for the youth to also vote in leaders that will put their interest first before any interest so in a country whereby you have a demography that is as big that is energetic that is employable and that can serve a that can give a kind of a human capital development I believe that demography should be time and that demography should also shape who becomes the president or any elective post in 2020 I'd also like to ask if we're taking into cognizance the fact that vote buying is a very critical issue especially with the introduction of technology so it feels like the political gladiators or this political elite have device immense you know to reinforce and ensure that vote buying gets to a certain strata so I'd like you to speak to that vote buying the number of registered voters especially the fact that we have a high turnout in terms of youths but we hope that they would also turn out to the polls tomorrow my question is how do we connect this those who are buying votes you can't take the youths out of it so you still have those who are being induced to get votes and the youth are indulging you see vote buying is as old as democracy itself and it happens in almost uh in every every democracy in democracy it just that it is more pronounced in this part of the world than anywhere else and one thing is this as I told you a population or a demography that is energetic that had the energy that had this did and they have the commitment people always tap into it to carry out to perpetrate their own or theory of motive inducement has always been there but at the same time we have to look at it that this in this always come from politicians and the good side is that the youths now are very very interested in who becomes their leader and you see before now let's look at from 1999 to now most Nigerians are not even interested in the party primaries you can now see you they are now interested in the party primaries right from that is where but that is where the election starts from the primary so they are not even they are interested in who becomes the primary and the flat bearer of their party they now becomes interested in who lead a constituency or do a party present for election so inducement is part of it and I can tell you part of the job some of the youth organization has done is like a national youth council of Nigeria the uh not too young to run movement I've also tried to sensitize the youth that you cannot sell your future with uh for a pot of porridge is a five thousand around inducement ten thousand nine inducement how long will it like how long will you spend that for the next four years so youth have to understand that no this is the election to win so why take why allow you to be induced by politicians so it will always happen I get politicians are always smart they have a way of getting around when this inducement among what that is but I can tell you compared to 2015 or 2019 these are really really really gone down because people are now sensitized people no more the youth people the youth no more I get it a demography that has the energy that will always be influenced or induced to do their bidding but actually the story is changing and we hope it gets better there are some people who insist at all you know yes I like is saying that they have a x y z amount of registered voters and indeed also talking about the number of voters that they expect to see come out to vote on d day and we're looking at different categories of of voters across the age demographies and some will argue all right out of the 93.5 million uh eligible voters and some are still arguing that most of them just went to get registered so they can have a a card they can use for their bank open bank accounts and for transactions anytime they go to see give us a an ID card to bring their voters card they're not really going to go use it to vote what do you say to that yeah I think that is um that points down to the fact that we need to have a kind of holistic database a database that speaks to all so that people don't just see the voters card as a means to just use for identification or to open bank account among other things let me give you a very funny example you have even seen people that they say they have the voters card and they've never used it to vote in their life and when you ask them to present their ID card either at a function or in a place where they have their base screen for a particular program what it is that they come up with their voting and their voters card as a means of identification but we have a more holistic the national ID card is there and international passport is there so let's have a a holistic database that speaks to the fact that people don't even have to see the voters card as only a means of identification number two is this we must not forget the fact that most of this youth are the victims of electoral violence and no no demography life more than the youth demography we're also speaking to when it comes to electoral violence and when voter party setting and when election is not sure that will be conducted in a conducive and safe or safe and peaceful environment people will be a party will be setting people will see the voters card not just a tool for voting they rather use it to do other things so we have to call on the government and all the electoral empires and security agencies if you can make our election safe youths are ready to come out to vote and they will not just see the voter card as a means of identification rather a tool for electing the next leader of Nigeria we've seen we've seen I mean in in in in previous elections that young people are playing football I'm sure you are very well you've seen that around you know one or two places playing football on the street not interested in voting we've had a hard level of vote apathy this time around you're saying that yes indeed you agree that with the analysis of some pundits that young people are going to come out on mass to be a part of this election and what what messages and what issues because the different candidates have have saw themselves in their programs their candidature are on different agendas what issues will determine how the young people vote is it about economic the economy issue economic issues security jobs maybe is it about answers what what issues will determine who the young people vote for to me personally and it has to do with the economy if you have a president that will come in and will better their life Nigerian youth and what we think about Nigerian youth is that they're not even asking for much all they are just asking that provide a conducive environment for us to try for us to work and show our talent you need to see look at the startup industry look at the IT world look at the creative world Nigerians youth have shows that just give them the right environment they enable the environment and they can do all that so looking into the country country election in general youth are not just asking for more what they are saying is that let's have a president or someone that will come in that will give us a conducive environment be it startup be it anything we just a piece of laptop and even phones people are doing wonders and making money in the comfort in the corner of their room making money and doing a legit business and also it is very important that it starts to do with protecting the right of youth you understand so it is at this stage that we must start understanding that being being youth does not say that all youths are bad and the stereotypes must also stop that oh you are wearing this you do your hair is somehow your clothes is somehow so we need to go beyond this the stereotype has to stop and you cannot even say that 25 or 30 years old youth cannot drive a car of 5 million there are all these are stereotypes that have been a problem in this part of the world whether youths are not subjected to a kind of searches that are not even needed so Nigerian youth what they are asking for is that and what we shape their decision into the country election is any presidential candidate that will come in and better the economy and give them a conducive environment where they can thrive well we have to go now no no we're not yet ready to go i've just been told that we can continue but but but we have issues that are our um have been at play um as regards to your selections to look at cultural factors we look at religious factors um and all that uh there are some people who believe that the culture and religions to play a heavy role as far as elections are concerned i can give you an instance in Lagos for instance some analysts analysis that has been done uh you know has said that you know yes we have third force rising you know in Nigeria but if you look at Lagos for instance um those who are going to vote for the third force probably are people from southeast and all that you look at the local governments in Lagos you have a jaw you have a mood of fear in these places and that if you can compare it to places where you know if you look at the incumbent party in Lagos they've had a stronghold a limo show Surileigh Surileigh and all these other places uh we have a core Yoruba um population that um maybe the expectation that the third force candidate may get a good result in Lagos is is um being overblown it's blown out of proportion and so so what do you think about is if the young people are going to form a majority of the uh the the voters by demography um do you think they go to vote along these lines that we've seen in previous years of religion ethnicity and tribalism yeah we must establish sorry we must establish one fact that uh politics is an emotional game and um sentiments that has to in line of tribe and religion will always come in so if we say we should take it out of the discussion it's like we are saying that we are not more human you understand that is just a human way of looking at issues at time but at the same time we must grow beyond our personal sentiments and line and inclination in making decisions this has to do with Nigeria for God's sake so and I believe Nigeria youth have shown their level of um awareness and level of exposure it is true people tends to vote along party line if you take a sample of maybe 10 voters now at least eight of them will have been voting along either tribal line or religion and us as it has to be but one good thing we must dissociate our mind from is that um the economy security and everything there's no no tribe and religion so we must really find that black and the date that can give us what we need as a people as a nation all right we I'm so sorry I'm so sorry to interject but I'm told that we have to bring our conversation to a close right now uh very interesting analysis from you really enjoyed it I wish you had more time but we'll see what happens tomorrow yeah we'll see what happens tomorrow you've told me already of a looking forward to the election so thank you so much for your time and I wish you a small farm uh electoral experience thank you for arguing all right all right so LeManna Kondi as a public affairs analyst he joined us from Abuja we have more conversations coming up we'll talk spots when we return please