 And you're welcome back. I am being joined by Honourable Adelaja Adelie. He's the ADP House of Representatives candidate for Oshodi Isolo Federal Constituency. And we will be looking at the challenges of the new generation politicians. Good morning and welcome to the program. Thank you so much. Good morning. Good to be here. Yes, nice to have you too. So we are in a country where young people have been accused of having very low interest in politics and political activities. But here you are. You are vying for office. Would you please lead us through what motivated you to get involved in politics and get to the point where you are operating at right now? Just like you said, everything politics generally is a game of interest. There is something that I have been doing for quite some time right from when I was in school. I was actually the Student Union Secretary-General at school. When I got into the Unilike, I got involved in so many politics at my father's office and all of that. So I became a passion in service to service, you know, to serve people. So that's probably into joining a political party. And from there, you know, I became the State Public Secretary of Empathy in Lagos State. Then at some point in time around 2019, I became the National Public Secretary of the same party. So back to PDP. Here I am, vying for House of Representatives in my course 20. You know, should you sort of process it to in Lagos, Nigeria. So politics for me is not about passion. It's about service to the people. And about also getting involved, you know, making the desired change that we need. We all know what's going on in this country. That there are a lot of companies from the people of the country. And you know, they keep saying that there are leadership gap and all of that. So some of us have feel that we have one thing or the other to contribute, irrespective of whether we are old, we are young and all of all know. That's what we are getting involved because we want to really be a change agent. That's why someone like me is a technology. And I have also used that to show an example to fed your people that it is possible because a lot of people feel that way because they need to have millions, they need to have this, they need to have that. You need to have these starting points. You need to start from somewhere. You need to be relevant. You need to know the people who are also relevant so that at the end of the day you also can also be relevant. And when you show an example and when you show that you have the capacity to actually contribute to some of the various problems we have in the country. Of course, in one way or another you go to the people and tell them that I can do this, I can do that. Point is a game of number. It's a game of appealing to people and telling people that I can do this, I can do that. So because they follow you then you get in there and you serve them and you go there to represent them. So that's what it's all about. People are actually coming to realize that they don't need to sit back anymore. They need to come in. All of the leaders we see today, if you go back to history, you will realize that many of them started politics at their young age. We know that a lot of people that became president at their mid-1930s, some at their late 20s, and all were not. They are still a political specimen. If they didn't stand at that time, they would not be relevant and they would mostly be here and say that they are the leader leading the country. So that's why I challenge young people to come up, young people to energize and to team up and work together and see how we can begin to push ourselves one by one to get into power so that we can create change. Because a change in this country or a policy in this country for all young people without us is actually not for all. So that's why we have to get involved deeply. Thank you. Okay, so part of my opening speech was how that young persons have been accused of not being interested. And that is a school of thought, because whenever young people and politics, whenever the conversation comes up, of course, different people, different perspectives and different opinions come up. There's this school of thought that says young people are just not interested so we can't fuss them. The other school of thought says we are not being properly represented or included. How would you rate inclusion and use representation in politics in the Nigerian space? Well, the truth of the matter is that young people are interested, like I've visited before. They are very, very much more interested in politics and leadership and governance in this country. We will see that there are some of our leaders that see the need for young people to be part of government. They understand our challenges. Some of the challenges we have is our ability and resources to compete effectively with these guys that have built themselves over the years. So we now see some of them who really see the need to help the young people to come into governance. That's why you see young people. I will give you an example. For instance now, if you look at all the states in the country, you will see we have a cabinet where we have positions in the cabinet that have commissioners for youth and sports. You see some of these positions in some other clients. They are putting other people in these positions because the field is just a way to compensate some of their people politically. But we still see some of the new leaders that say that this position is for the young people. Example is Heimakide. He appointed a board of 26 years old as a commissioner in New York State, Nigeria. And we have some other examples in other states as well. You know, that is deliberate inclusion of young people into governance. So like the young people, even in legal states, for instance, because I'm aware that the commissioner for agriculture is a very young lady too. So those are the inclusion that are coming into governance. By the time these people they become commissioner, they did very well. Tomorrow, in no distance time, some of them will say they want to run for governor. Before you know it, if they are accepted by the people, they become young governors at a young age. People like us also the same thing because we are young people who are putting effort to make sure that we do something that makes people know that young people are really rich. It's not as maybe young people are not interested. Young people are interested, but it's just unfortunate that the institution of the country does not really put the resources that young people need to come into governance and to come into governance. So those are the challenges but I believe gradually the challenges will be gradually resolved. I want us to dwell a little bit more on the challenges. You are a young person running for office so for the benefit of this conversation, I am going to say that you are a representative of the new generation politicians that are just coming up because while you were talking earlier, you mentioned how you encourage young people to start early just like you are doing because some of our leaders who are still leading us today actually started off getting office positions when they were in their late 30s, early 30s, late 20s. Having people coming up now, young persons coming up now to join politics, we are looking at the challenges now because while you were just speaking, you mentioned resources and you mentioned the situation of the country which is a general term that we usually use for when we don't want to go into details of what we want to talk about. But you are a young person actively involved in politics. What would you say is the major challenge facing the new generation politicians who are just cropping up? Yeah, I mentioned it earlier. You see, inclusion of young people into politics. Of course, as we know, power is not given, it is taken. So it now takes a certain set of young people who have ideas, who are bold enough and who says that they want to be part of it because you can't force anybody, you can't say because you are young people then you have to consider this. Nothing is considered to anybody. You have to work for it and you have to get it. So young people across the country, of course, we go to different states, you know, you see young people taking positions at a party. Young people, young people, young people are, they have a variety of challenges. But then, notwithstanding, irrespective of the challenges, there are some young people that they look beyond those challenges and they still try to run. They still try, no matter how little the resources they have, they go around to galvanize support from those people they know that they could actually support them to make sure that they also make man in the political landscape in the country. So we have a lot of them. Look at PDB, for instance. We have a very young man from Karyuna State as our national youth leader. The same thing with FPC, the national youth leader of FPC. It's also your person, following your Israel, you know, from Lagos State. So we are having young people who have that capacity, who have that boldness to say they want to be part. So once we have a few of them, those of us who now, you know, energize other people, who now, you know, ginger other people that maybe they feel that we can't do it. We have challenges here and they give one excuse or the other. They give other excuses aside and say, yes, let us, you know, just go in there and see what we can do. So by the time we have one from one, we have two, before you, we have three, we have 10, we have 20, all young people across the country now giving morale to other young people who are just feeling that because there's one challenge on the other, so they couldn't run, they couldn't be involved and all of that. And before you know it, we will now be looking beyond the challenges, we will now be thinking outside the box and see how we also, you know, be part of the system. Not just be part of the system, be part of the system and make impact and make good impact that will say that, yeah, this is what the relationship between young people in power, in governance and leadership and the old people in power and governance and leadership. Because young people, they tend to have more ideas because they are more technological and scientifically inclined and all of these things have what to do with governance and leadership and governance. So these are reasons why I am encouraging for young people to come into politics and look beyond the challenges. I know those challenges, they are overwhelming sometimes but then we can surmount it where we will all work together and support ourselves to power. Alright, in the past we've had, you know, women come out to vie for office. I think it was in the 2015 elections, we had one female candidate who was vying for the office of the presidency as well. And during the primaries and the build-up to 2023, you know, primaries from political parties, we had a couple of women who were also, you know, in the race. I don't know what has happened now because I've not really heard anything about them or from them. But my question is before I get to that, even in our national assembly, there's been like a quota system for women to be represented in the National Assembly and the Senate. What is your take on balancing gender representation in politics, especially when it has to do with young women who are interested in politics? Well, you see, one of the things that a lot of young people need to realize is that, you see, politics is not something you would just dabble into and say because I am a female or I am a young person, then automatically I have to be included. I remember that there was this 33% affirmative action during the Good Love Jonathan era that women and young people should have 35%. Because of this disadvantaged position that they have that they couldn't compete with the big weeks in quotes. So that is something that I think the young people and the women, they need to push because we need to start from somewhere. I believe 35% affirmative action or quota is something that is a good start for us. But it's just what people are not thinking about looking at alternative and say how we could come into government without having to label someone. I understand that there is some political party because of the fact that women, young people couldn't be able to compete effectively. Then they reserve this as part of their constitution and say 35% of the party position go to women and youth. So this avenue that I am calling on the women and young people to now begin to amount on and begin to promote. So that a load could make those big weeks to some parents and say let us implement this affirmative action. But nobody is talking about that. Like I said before, power is not giving. Power is taking. So whatever system that you could use then let us exploit what I just said, 35% affirmative action. And I remember the former first patient to a gulok Jonathan was at the forefront of that affirmative action during the reign of former president gulok Jonathan between 2011 and 2015. So I believe the current president Aisha Buhari, I believe she is rallying around women across, in fact I just saw a tweet when she was talking about a female making case for female deputy governor in Adama state. So we need to speak up. It's when we begin to speak up for ourselves then we will not begin to see how we can create those platforms and those chance for the young people and women to come into governance and power. And I understand that women helping women, women collaborating women, these are what we need to do more. So that to be that women are fighting women women are trying to pull down women. So all of these things anything that could make women to come together to actually fight for themselves so that they will also be included in the government these are actions I think we should be doing. I'm not talking about the issue of feminism or whatever this one has nothing to do with women fighting for women. You understand? This is strictly political and political what we do logically, politically. Not that you have the practice of feminism and propaganda and you know some of that is up to whatever you understand. Those ones they are not going to work. You understand? What work is when you have a formidable action plan like what I've just mentioned you come under that and I believe it is doable. People Nigerian citizens and especially young people there is a lot of gap between them and the political class and another way to say that is there is a lot of difference a lot of distrust among the young persons and the ruling class. What do you think that the new age politicians who are cropping up you vying for office what can you do differently what do you think can be done differently to curb or bridge this gap and you know begin to build trust again among our political class and the citizens? The fact of the matter is that trust is in quotes it is a subjective ok? The constant itself the people themselves they need to tell themselves to truth and they need to come to terms with what is real what is imaginary and connect it with their expectation from politicians because when a politician is campaigning and they are telling you what you know that it is practically impossible to achieve and you believe them and when they see you get into power then you are now expecting them to do the impossible for you of course you know it is a two-way thing the trust that we are trying to there are people that you tell reality and the truth of what is possible what is logical based on reality but they will not listen to you they will not follow you ok? so that aspect needs to be ironed out that aspect needs to be resolved by the people themselves so that their hope is not that but we as a young people the new generation politician and leaders what we will do differently is when we say it is A it has to be A and we have to tell people have an issue what is possible what is reality in governance, in government and in leadership the truth and all of it then it is now led for the people to embrace the truth so that when we get into power our own truth we will not make sure that they can hold us on our own truth and what we have told them that we are going to do if I tell you that when I become the National Assembly member from Oshodi Federal Constituency to Enlegos I understand that legal states supposed to have a special status and I tell you during my campaign when I get into the National Assembly I will work so hard my other colleagues in the house and other Federal Constituency across the country to make sure that they support my bill to make that come to reality and in the process of doing that I will let my Constituency and the state see that this is what I am doing you understand what I am saying this is the step I am taking I have regular feedback system with my people so at that point in time they will know that this is what I have told them I am going to the National Assembly to do not that I will get to the National Assembly or I will just run if you are for I say I if you are for me without any impact without any bill that will be they will have far reaching effect on the people like in my own Constituency we know the challenges and I am discussing this thing with my people that we know we have problem of bad rules network in the system is it a purview of the National Assembly no it is a purview of the state government what can I do can I make sure that I have a good relationship with the state government that I can use my influence to attract the government to come and fix some of the state roads and some of the local government roads in my Constituency then the aspect that concerns my own purview are the nothing laws legislative agenda then I will make sure that these things are judiciously done when I get to the National Assembly without you know rigmarole around so these are the things so that is the truth my truth and the truth are presented before my people so they can hold me on my truth then they will now know that I am totally different from every other other other politician so that they will know that this young man at the National Assembly we can emulate him we can say he is the true representation of the young people in the country so these are the challenges so like I said the people need to know their own truth to expect from the politicians okay so if they know their own truth to expect from the politicians then we can now you know move ahead alright thank you so much honourable for joining the conversation this morning thank you so much for sharing your ideas with us we really appreciate your presence on the program this morning thank you so much for coming through it is still the run-up and after this quick break when I return we are going to be going to Western State to have that conversation do not go anywhere the run-up will continue after this break stay with us