By Chizoba Emmanuel Ugwuagbo,
From El-Rufai’s outbursts to the wave of defections by political actors across the nation, the 2027 election is gradually taking shape. Yet, as usual, the youths are conspicuously absent from the scheme of things.
This aligns with the now-established behavioral pattern of young people who claim they want to lead Nigeria.
They feign ignorance, cheer on, and laugh off political alignments that shape election outcomes, dismissing them as mere political drama. Then, a few months before the election, they suddenly begin claiming they want to contest for positions.
The Not Too Young to Run Act has allowed young people above the age of 25 to contest important positions like House of Assembly, House of Representatives, and LGA Chairmanship. Those above 30 can run for gubernatorial and senatorial positions, while the presidency is reserved for those above 35.
However, the Not Too Young to Run Act will not prepare young people for elections. It will not form alliances for them, build structures for them, shape narratives for them, or vote for them.
Therefore, to sit back at this point—when the narratives that will drive campaigns are being woven, when alliances that will produce candidates are being formed, and when grassroots support is being consolidated—is to strategically count oneself out of the process.
What this does to us is that we wake up to an election year in which the narratives are already set, leaving us with no choice but to pick a side and play second fiddle to those who crafted them. You can never outdo people in a game they designed.
This is the moment we must abandon all lukewarmness and actively work on formulating agendas, propaganda, narratives, and strategies that will not only ensure we control the discourse but also secure victory at the polls.
2027 is closer than we think. By this time next year, everything will be set for primaries.
If we do not start now, we will only start making noise when we are sidelined once again after the primaries.
Taa bụ gboo.
Ugwuagbo Emmanuel Chizoba is a journalist and scholar based in Enugu.
