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2015 National Elections - The need for youth to vote

It is no longer news for Nigerians that elections will hold in February 2015 to determine our fate for another four years. Indeed the past four years can best be described by series of killings in the northern part of the country. Very unfortunate! This does not mean the incumbent Government have not done anything good, no.

Nigeria has the youth as the majority of its populace, among which we have literates and illiterate (by our Nigerian definition of literacy anyway). I mean educationally informed, if I may describe them as such. My previous observation following elections from 2003 through 2011, most of those that may make the desired choice do not bother to come out to vote. Perhaps they are afraid of being lynched by thugs at the polling units, they cannot endure the long wait queuing just to stain a finger to make a print on a paper, or are busy with their intellectual engagements.

Such youth as described in the previous paragraph, in my view, are the agents of change and best tool to determine the fate of a country like ours. It is the group that can salvage a nation from infrastructural decay. Being the majority of our population, this is the category of people that can make keen observations and proffer better ways of doing things. Such group will not snatch a ballot box for a small token neither to serve the selfish ego of some politicians. They would rather question anyone that would attempt to do so, take up a case in court and further strategies that will hinder jeopardy of any election.

Among the said category of youth, you find excellent analysts, potential jurists, writers, etc. Yet they are best at what they do, about elections, tapping keyboards of their computers and mobile phones. Most of them are busy developing applications to show live progress of elections results, analysis, and posting updates on social media such as twitter, LinkedIn, facebook and the likes - ofcourse at the comfort of their homes or offices. These youth are keen to see their country have the right leadership. So they follow the elections even those in diaspora.

This is a clarion call to every youth - informed and uninformed, busy and non-busy, employed and unemployed, married and unmarried, male and female - to come out and vote in 2015 to vote whoever it is our opinion deem fit to lead us to a brighter future. We should not be having 1.5m total votes from a state of 5m people.

Voter Registration can be done now, it is never late and a continuous exercise. Check here for voter education by INEC.

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