By Saheed Ibrahim,
Boluwatife Akinola
& Rebecca Akintunde

The “Not Too Young to Run” policy will not materialise with the current political situation in the Nigeria as the fees charged by political parties for nomination and expression forms into various elective offices are outrageous, political experts and youth leaders have said.

The experts suggested that certain political offices should be seeded to the youth, as it is advanced for women and the youth must build a formidable political party to wrestle power from the aged politicians.

A Professor of Political Science at Ekiti State University (EKSU), Professor Akinsola Agagu said that the youth were not given opportunity to take up leadership roles in the country in past years, adding that the current amount charged by political parties as nomination and expression of interest form was outrageous.

He suggested that the youth should, in their own way, mobilise themselves, use their education, political power to engage in politics and support programmes and initiatives that would be in their favour.

Also speaking, a political analyst, Mr Tobi Oladipupo said “Since the inception of the world, the aphorism that says “Youths are the leaders of Tomorrow but youth in Nigeria had been sidelined in the political process of the country.

“How will an unemployed or underdeveloped youth purchased a nomination form of N100 million? How will a starved worker spend a lot of money during campaigns? These are questions to be answered. Do youth still have a future in politics, how?”

Oladipupo lamented that the little number of youths in politics are only being used as instrument of destruction and hooliganism during elections, saying the youth could only be the answer to many problems bedeviling Nigeria if they were awake to their rights and responsibilities and prioritise governance over money.

He noted that the world, as well as every sector was changing, and there was need to involve those with sharp minds and relevant modern skills to take over the affairs of things.

Speaking in the same vein, another political analyst Mr Femi Akinyosoye said the present political space debarred youth participation, saying only politicians and influential people in the country lobby ways for their children.