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Former lawmaker Shehu Sani has called on Nigerians, particularly young people, to actively participate in politics rather than limiting their engagement to social media commentary.
In a post on X on Saturday, Sani urged citizens in their 30s, 40s and 50s to stop confining their political involvement to comment sections on platforms such as Facebook, X and Instagram, and instead register with political parties and seek elective office.
“You are in your 30s, 40s or 50s, your Rep member is in his 30s, and your House of Assembly member and Local Government Chairman are in their 20s,” Sani wrote.
“Excuse yourself from their comment section on Facebook, X and Instagram; register as a member of a political party and aspire to contest and give your people the kind of leadership you think they deserve.”
Sani also noted that a recent survey indicated that Nigerian youths are more active on social media than in politics, stressing that it is not helpful.
“Don’t be discouraged or scared because you don’t have money to join http://politics,” he added.
“You need to hear the story of most of those you see in power today; it wasn’t an easy ride from the beginning. If they can be, so can you.”
The percentage of young people running for office decreased from 34% in the 2019 general election to 28.6% in 2023, according to an analysis of candidate lists from Yiaga Africa.
Young people were a minority among the candidates on the ballot, despite still making up the largest demographic on the national voter register (37.7%).
Despite the decline in youth candidacy in the 2023 election, youth representation in the legislature improved slightly compared to the 2015 and 2019 elections.
