Former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr Kabiru Tanimu Turaki, has urged Nigerian youths to take an active role in politics, saying political power will not simply be handed to them.
Turaki said youths must reject the recurring promise that they are the “leaders of tomorrow” and actively participate in the struggle for political power and leadership positions.
He spoke on Monday while delivering a speech at the second edition of the Bala AbdulKadir Mohammed Colloquium, held at the Ahmadu Bello International Conference Centre, Bauchi, to commemorate the 68th birthday of Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed.
The former PDP national chairman said Nigerian youths had been told for decades that their time to lead would come, arguing that the situation would not change unless they became more deliberate about seeking political power.
He said, “Power is never given; power is taken. If you sit down and expect that power will be given to you, you are 18, they will tell you, ‘Youths of today are leaders of tomorrow.’ You are 28, you are 38, you will even get to 68, they will still continue to tell you, ‘Don’t worry, you are youth, you are going to be leaders of tomorrow.’ When, when will that tomorrow come?”
Turaki cited the example of former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon, who became Nigeria’s military leader at 29 and spent nine years in power, leaving office at 38.
He also recalled that some political figures in the First Republic, including Maitama Sule, assumed prominent government positions at relatively young ages, arguing that Nigerian youths should not allow age to become an excuse for their exclusion from leadership.
Turaki also challenged Nigerian youths to take ownership of the political process, saying the responsibility for changing the quality of leadership could not be left entirely to politicians.
He said, “We must understand, and on this I want to speak to Nigerian youths: Power is never given; power is taken.”
The former Minister of Special Duties also criticised vote-buying.
He said, “You cannot go and say you are not going to vote unless you are given money. You cannot go and say you will not vote until you get a bag of spaghetti. You cannot say that you will not vote, but you will carry fresh green leaves depicting that a candidate is for sale, and then expect that you will have quality, exemplary representation. Certainly, no.
“At that point in time, you will have neither the legal nor moral right to demand for quality representation from that candidate.”
Turaki further urged respected members of society, including traditional rulers, religious leaders, civil servants and business people, not to withdraw completely from politics, warning that their absence could create a vacuum for people lacking integrity and credibility.
“You don’t have to be partisan to take interest in who becomes the Governor. You don’t have to be partisan for you to take passive interest in who becomes a member of the House of Assembly, who becomes the Chairman of local government, who becomes your governor, or who becomes your President,” he said.
Turaki said active participation would give citizens both the legal and moral basis to demand accountability from elected officials.
“For it is only by doing so that we’ll own the process. And when we own it up, then we have a legal and moral right to now call those who were elected into account and ask for responsibility,” he said.
Nobody will give you power, take it — Turaki urges Nigerian youths