DEMOCRACY TODAY | 19TH MAY 2026 | AIT LIVE

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[00:00:00]Hello there. Now except for the first republic general political landscape was heavily genttocratic even though nearly 70% of the population is under the age of 35. Constitutional age limits barred a massive democratic chunk of the country from running for leadership positions leaving them on the margins as voters or campaign foot soldiers rather than candidates. But on May 31, 2018, late former President Muhammadu Buuhari signed into law the not too young to run act which remains a landmark constitutional milestone in Nigeria's political history that legally lowered age barriers for political office though practical execution continues to you know face both political and financial hurdles.

[00:00:48]It is a fresh season of political parties primaries in Nigeria, marking the kickoff of internal party selections for party standard bearers contesting the 2027 general election. Major political parties have rolled out their comprehensive shadows characterized by high political tensions, screening exercises and strategic alignment across the country. On Democracy Today, we'll examine a glaring contradiction in Nigeria's democracy. The minimum voting age limit is 18. Yet political leadership remains a stark gentratic issue. Eight years ago, the passage of the not too young to run act sparked nationwide hope or so it seemed. It lowered the constitutional age limit for political offices. It also promised a historic shift in both the legislative and executive chambers. Yet the promise is being stalled at the first major huddle. the parties. They lowered the age, but they did not lower the cost of nomination forms. And the true gatekeepers of Nigeria's democracy are the political parties definitely. Inside these parties, the financial barriers to entry have skyrocketed, exorbiting expression of interest and nomination forms. Uh that's the fourth phase to an invisible age barrier. Now, while the rules favor wealthy political forces and those with deep pockets, deep-seated godfather dictates who gets the party's ticket. Now, as a result, youth inclusion remains me rhetorics or at best become symbolic rather than systemic. Now, has the not too young to run act become a mere paper tiger? Why are young aspirants filtered out before the electorate can even vote?

[00:02:38]Well, why has the law failed to democratize the primaries?

[00:02:43]We also asked, should political inclusion be treated as a commercial commodity?

[00:02:49]Yes, you guessed right. Questions and more questions begging for several answers. Well, before the conversations on the program tonight, let's examine interparty democracy. The All Progressives Congress APC senatorial primaries are still in the news. The senatorial primaries were not just an election. They were a systemic purge.

[00:03:12]During the exercise, there were reports of a masterclass in structural supremacy.

[00:03:18]Now, while some elite power brokers tightened their grip on the party's machinery, some other political titans were quietly systematically pushed into oblivion. Who influenced this sweeping outcome? Anyway, here is an analytical anatomy of the APC senatorial primaries.

[00:03:37]>> Nigeria's ruling All Progressives Congress. APC senatorial primaries serve as a high stakes arena where political destinies are forged, fractured, and fiercely contested. Within this theater of ambition, the dual phenomena of the sudden fall from grace and the iron grip of power reveal the volatile nature of Nigerian elite political engineering.

[00:04:03]The primaries are rarely a simple exercise in grassroots democracy.

[00:04:08]Instead, they operate as a marketplace of influence, state machinery, and godfatherism.

[00:04:15]For many heavyweights, including incumbent senators and former governors, these intraarty elections have become an unexpected graveyard of ambition, proving that decades of hold on power could collapse overnight.

[00:04:31]In a way, the pursuit of a Senate ticket exposes the fragile underbelly of party cohesion.

[00:04:39]Laying bear the fierce struggle between entrenched godfathers seeking to maintain their grip on power and defant new braids attempting to dismantle established oligarchis.

[00:04:52]For many heavyweights, the primaries serve as a stage for a tragic fall from grace. Titans who once commanded absolute loyalty find themselves undone by shifting political alliances. Sen calculation is by the party leadership or the quiet roth of delegates who decided to vote against status quo.

[00:05:15]These fallen aspirants often discover too late that power in the ruling party is fluid, clinging not to individuals but to the shifting centers of gravity within the presidential villa and state government houses. This who tighten their grip on power do so through a masterful command of political leverage.

[00:05:37]But in the two cases, the winners and the losers vast resources were deployed.

[00:05:44]While the winners secure the crucial blessings and support of powerful governors who act as the ultimate gatekeepers of parties machinery, those who lost did not get even a mention.

[00:05:56]Ultimately, the APC senatorial primaries reveal the true nature of Nigerian political engineering.

[00:06:03]The exercise highlights a system where structural power and strategic positioning often triumph over popular will leaving a trail of fractured alliances and newly minted power brokers and newly minted power brokers. As the dust settles on these internal battle grounds, the victors emerge not just as party standardbearers or better still candidates, but as battle tested survivors who perhaps understand that in the relentless pursuit of power, the line between absolute control and political oblivion is let's move away from that from the praise for a moment. There is something quite unique about an autobiography. It is a first narrative of a person's life written by the subject themselves. His primary uniqueness stems from insider perspective offering readers intimate unfiltered access to the author's internal thoughts, emotional landscapes and of course personal motivations that no third party biographer could ever fully capture. On Thursday, General on Tuesday rather, General Yakub Goan, a former Niger military head of state who ruled from July 1966 to July 1975 and at just 31 years old, led the country through a harrowing Nigerian civil war from 1967 to 1970, officially launched his much awaited autobiography, My Life of Duty and Allegiance in the Nigerian capital, Abuja. Now, the event attracted top government officials, diplomats, and military veterans. The former head of state explained that his decision to write an 881page memoir was intended to provide personal clarity on this administration's policies during the Nigerian conflict rather than to revive old painful grievances.

[00:07:56]Goan spoke about an unforgettable lifeline from Mushia Gua Bassenger than a general and military head of state to bail him out of financial difficulties after he was overthrown and settled in London where he was in exile.

[00:08:11]Now on the military, Gowan said, and I quote, "The era of military government is and must remain behind us. Democracy despite its imperfections provide the best framework for national national development rather." End of quote.

[00:08:29]Well, here are a few sides and sounds from that event.

[00:08:40]60 years ago, our country stood on the brink of disintegration and the circumstances of the time made me to renew my commitment to serve Nigeria with all my strength. On my watch as head of state, the country did not fall and I am confident that the nation despite all its challenges still will not fall.

[00:09:22]But I am worried that Nigerians never seem to get tired of presenting difficult solutions to simple problems which they father complicate with more complex and ambiguous solutions that invariably generate tensions in the country.

[00:09:50]Our boss Yakubagawan therefore assumed power with a triple mandate at a moment of grave national necessity.

[00:09:59]He was challenged to keep the nation united. He was called upon to keep the military united as an instrument of national unity. Above all, he and his colleagues faced the challenge of resuming the task of nation building from where the colonialist and founding fathers had left off. It is to General Gowan's eternal credit that he faced all these historical challenges with courage, wisdom, and characteristic humility. We are here because General Akubawan has given Nigeria a Baltimore memory at a time when our country needs a discipline of remembrance. We are here because the story of a man who stood at the center of Nigeria's most certain years cannot be left to fragments, suspicion and careless narration. We are here because the past when honestly preserve becomes a compass for the future embodied in the enduring declaration of no victor no vanquish.

[00:11:11]That philosophy laid the foundation for healing, reconstruction, and reintegration at a time when bitterness and division could easily have prevailed.

[00:11:24]And of course, we all remember General Gwan. Every leader, if anybody who have the opportunity to become the president of a country will be remembered from one thing or the other. But there are two key things that we remember leaders.

[00:11:38]Policies that endure.

[00:11:41]Policies that reform society.

[00:11:44]Policies that change things.

[00:11:53]All right, there you have it. Niger, one of Nigeria's youngest military heads of state, General Akuban. That event was at launch of his personal memoir. Well, this one just, you know, reaching out today. He says the economic and financial crimes commission EFCC has arrested former minister of power salaman in Kaduna state. Addressing journalists in Abuja, the chairman of the antigraph agency Ola Lukid says the former minister was picked up during an early morning operation at about 3:00 a.m. on Tuesday after weeks of intense manhunts by anti-graft operatives.

[00:12:29]Mammon had been declared wanted after he failed to appear before the federal high court in Abuja for sentencing in a high-profile corruption case involving a life diversion of public funds meant for critical power projects absentia to 75 years imprisonment after the court found him guilty of money laundering and conspiracy to call true that billions of naira meant for the projects were diverted through private companies and brutal operators It also stated that Merman deliberately absconded to frustrate the judicial process prompting the economic and financial crimes commission to intensify efforts to capture him.

[00:13:08]>> At about 3:30 a.m. this morning, we arrested Mr. Salama somewhere in Kaduna.

[00:13:18]This is um to assure Nigerians that anyone who has prepared government or national resources will not go unpunished. and the eagle eye of economic and financial crimes commission will always catch up with you wherever you are hiding.

[00:13:34]>> The antigraph agency also arrested two other suspects accused of helping mammon while he was in hiding. Why where we affected the arrest we've arrested two other Nigerians within alongside and also the property the owner of the ownership of the property and all of that they still under investigation because it's actually a crime for you to abore or to protect or give a protection to a convicted fellow >> felon you of course is a positive salved as Nigeria's minister of power under the administration of former president Muhammad Buhari from 2019 until his removal or during a cabinet reshuffle in 2021.

[00:14:17]>> All right, let's get back to the, you know, concern of the day political matters. Now, the People's Democratic Party, PDP's presidential screening committee, the faction led by Tony Mutaki has officially waved the screening requirements and declared former President Good Luck Jonathan to run as the party's sole presidential candidate for the 2027 presidential election. former governor of Niger state and a prominent member of the presidential screening panel Babanga Aliu told journalists that the committee has granted a total waiver of screening protocol to the former president.

[00:15:04]Now, despite this announcement, it could not be confirmed if Jonathan had formally accepted calls to throw his heart into the race one more time. A crew of democracy today took prompt steps to confirm from the former president if indeed he has succumbed to well pressures to enter the presidential race one more time. One of his top aids confided in our correspondent that neither he nor anybody or one of his colleagues, none of his colleagues rather can speak on the matter at the moment. When pressured further, he said and I quote, "We shall surely speak, but the time is not right." End of quote.

[00:15:39]Aa in the studio and there will join me soon. This is Democracy Today on AIT and I am Enaku.

[00:15:49]Welcome.

[00:15:55]The issues as they break the multitude, the political figure the state and non-state activists >> is a serious threat to democracy and our government seem to be incapable of perpetuous scheming.

[00:16:11]>> This is not a period we should go.

[00:16:15]>> The intrigues >> there can be no one person that is bigger than the >> death moves and the momentous declaration.

[00:16:21]>> We didn't get any protection.

[00:16:23]>> I'm not particularly I can't see anybody.

[00:16:25]>> We track and capture them all. I don't believe it but for that reason politics >> follow in-depth analysis and no holds barred interviews.

[00:16:34]>> Armed forces of the country is well capable. They need the political will.

[00:16:38]>> Are they just waking up from sleep? Is there >> feel the pulse of happenings in the political arena on AIT Democracy Today widely acclaimed authority on politics Monday to Friday 700 p.m. Nigerian time.

[00:16:57]Thanks for staying with us. If you're just tuning in, this is Democracy Today on AIT. Uh before the break, I did tell you that um about the former president, Good Luck Jonathan's uh you know uh talk about entering into the presidential race one more time. He's still not confirmed because one of his aids whom our correspondents did catch up with said he could not speak on the matter.

[00:17:21]Here now is that uh comments.

[00:17:23]president became president. So we didn't see anything that needed uh screening and therefore the party had given him waiver to come and start uh following.

[00:17:37]In other words, he has been declared and cleared as a candidate of the PDP for the presidential election and that is President Jonathan.

[00:17:56]former governor of Niger state Aliu and a member of the PDP's screening committee was talking about the entrance of former president Gulak Jonathan into the presidential race for the 2027 presidential election for tonight we're discussing the price of power young qualified but broke yes indeed how many young people well you had in in my introduction you had the story of um former head of state uh General Yakub Gawan. He was 31 when he became head of state. Yes, he was a military ruler, but we're talking about the age at this time. Well, my guest is already in the building. He's a member of the ruling APC and he's no other than Dura John Daniel himself a young man. Many thanks for joining the program.

[00:18:43]>> Thank you very much. Thank you for having me.

[00:18:45]>> How have you been? It's been quite a while.

[00:18:47]>> Yes. Uh it's been it's been a while.

[00:18:49]have been well and then pushing it within the party.

[00:18:53]>> All right. And I have uh another guime vasum right this moment. He is a pro-democracy campaigner and you may also call him a former journalist but you know once a journalist you are always a journalist. I'm talking about arms free thanks for joining the program tonight.

[00:19:11]>> Thank you Anaku. Thank you for the very fantastic introduction.

[00:19:16]>> Of course. Yes indeed. You know what I'm going to start with you. The uh party's primaries are still very much in the news. It's not over. I'm I mean, of course, they still have till May 30 to wrap things up and all of that, but it's not clear whether they're going to have enough time to, you know, wrap up all the to resolve all the issues that may arrive. Well, that will definitely arise of course from the party primary.

[00:19:43]So, let me ask you beginning with this one. What is your observation of the process of the primary so far across all the political parties including the ruling APC?

[00:19:56]>> All right. Thank you so much Enaku. Uh for us at Grassroots Center for Rights and Civic Orientation, we have been closely following the process because we understand and we realize that the political parties are critical institutions for any process of transition and any process of consolidation of democracy. And so with respect to what we have observed, there have been a lot of anomalies. I'm sure your crew and you know even you yourself would have seen all of those videos on social media >> where we had very chaotic primaries, very flawed primaries in which in the first place you could not imagine that in this time and age uh people will be lining up like uh you know like uh you know school children there is no ballot paper and then people will start counting and manipulating the counts. So this is what we have seen in some places. We've we've seen a lot of violence, we've seen attacks on people who wanted to vote and you know all those kinds of anomalies that have dogged our electoral process. So if the process at the level of the party can be this chaotic and acrimonous, you would imagine that is the same mentality that they will bring into the uh general election itself. And that's why our organization has been at the forefront of calling for credible process, transparent process, a properly organized process because again we want to also ensure that the proper thing is done even though we do not have you know any dog in the fights you know I mean the political fight within the political parties but we have to also advocate that the polit political actors should do the right thing and should create the right mindset, create the right atmosphere as we head into the elections. All right?

[00:22:10]>> Because some of the things we've seen from the primaries honestly is enough to discourage voters. It's enough to create more voter apathy and worsen the level of voter aathy than we currently have.

[00:22:23]Okay?

[00:22:23]>> And so this is our initial observation of of the process.

[00:22:27]>> All right. Just a thought. I'll be back with you in just a moment. John, uh I would like to, you know, hear your view regarding the process first before I go to another issue. As we What did you observe? I I mean, beginning from your party, the APC.

[00:22:43]>> Um I think that the the primaries were nothing short of what we had expected.

[00:22:48]the there's a lot of u realignment going on and like I mentioned one of the times that we had a conversation about party partisan politics there's been a change of guard there's a process so change of guard in the country so with the the defection into the party and then the the groups and camps that have been formed you it was expected to see a lot of clash of interest and a lot of intrigues around the primaries. But one thing that is for sure is that the guidelines of the party were duly followed. For instance, the there were attempts for to arrive at consensus in at uh in various states and com in some states those discussions you know fell off and didn't produce anything. In other states eventually like in the FCT eventually concessors was agreed upon.

[00:23:44]We had uh aspirants who stepped down.

[00:23:47]There are those who were disqualified.

[00:23:49]they were screened and didn't meet up with the criterias. So they couldn't context those who were left then stepped down for distinguishing Aduda. So the the process was interesting to to observe >> the the there is certainly uh some level of increased political awareness.

[00:24:07]>> Yes. But is it really yielding any fruits? Because >> considering what we are seeing, the exclusion and the the barring if you will of so many young people to begin with and of course women from the contest is raised I mean he's raising a serious concern already. So is the awareness yielding any fruit so far?

[00:24:32]>> Yeah. Yes, it is. But again I should correct this notion. Nobody was bad from contesting there. There there was no time where the party said you cannot contest uh this person cannot contest.

[00:24:42]What happened was you had a lot of people who had interest in contesting and all of a sudden they dropped along the way because they couldn't afford to purchase the form right and uh for the women I think the party had increasingly had this conversation about um this quarter system or encourage remember the last time forms were sold there was a discount for young people and also women so they could meet up um and make this purchases so there is no deliberate disenfranchisement There you are. You may not be deliberate, but some persons believe it's some sort of systemic, you know, way to uh exclude the young people out of it because you see you're angling too much. You see, you you need to you need to let us have this thing our way and all of that.

[00:25:27]>> They're not too young to run law. It probably didn't capture some of these flaws at the time in 2018 when it was signed to law. Look what we are having now. Many young people who have the capacity, the drive, the will, the zeal now they are some sort of uh you know edged out of it systemically that's the belief of a niger.

[00:25:47]>> Talking talking about systems when you are confronting a system what you need to do is on study that system find out what where are the loopholes take advantage of them and then what are the challenges and then you build your own system. For instance, a lot of people say that young people are too broke to run. But how do do the older politicians do it? A lot of them bootstrapped their careers, right? And then they have sponsors. They had people who pull they pull resources.

[00:26:13]They may not call it crowdfunding like we do like you know we do create um GoFundMe links and raise money. They they may not call it that but that has always been in the system. So what are the young people doing? If I am going to run and I need 10 million NRA to purchase the form, I do not have the money. Why can't we pull the resources?

[00:26:34]We have the money. Who are the people on social media uh flaunting luxury lifestyle? We are the ones. Who are the people going to clubs to blow money? We are the ones. So if this is a leadership, especially politics here, a serious business and if you understand that it is serious business, you will have to put your resources into it. So the there is no nobody gives you power is the reality. Yes, there's a the law is there. You're not too wrong to run, but you know, understand the practicalities of it. So, you already know the moment you went to print your poster, you know that you're going to need money to prosecute the campaign and also to purchase your form. So, why don't we process that? We must begin to play this game the way it is, by the rules that exist rather than wait until when it is, it is utopia. So this is that that's my counter to the argument that they they are being systematically phased out. Nobody gives way. You might remember nobody gives way. I I like to make reference to the Chinese dynasty for instance to to show you that for time immemorial it has been the nature of power. You know there was a time where sons have to kill fathers to ascend the throne. Emperors assassinate their children to protect the toe. It's the nature of power. So when we we as young people need to understand that and come there not as victims not that we are begging we need to come from a position of strength to negotiate and also come prepared knowing that there will be a push back that is how I would like to for us to view this challenges >> we'll come back to this you and I right in the studio let me get back to arms arms you see the activists your some of your colleagues I'm not so sure if you were part of the you know uh young men who drew blew up that act before the president graciously signed it into law.

[00:28:25]But perhaps the constitutional uh age limits and barrier what have you were sort of prioritized right over financial uh u inclusion barriers and limits in the parties as against what we're seeing now. Maybe that was given more attention than the financial aspect of it. That to some people is what is causing what we're seeing now. So is there a chance that that could have been given too much attention the could have been given too much attention over fin uh the finance aspect.

[00:28:57]Thank you so much Enaku and uh also to your uh to your guest in the studio. I I found his analysis quite interesting >> even though you know he's he's a partisan person but >> okay >> yeah to say that to say that uh the older political actors are bootstrapping and uh pulling resources many many of these guys are using state resources they are using our state resources to to to uh h uh steamroll the political process so let's say the way it is so you do not expect uh you know and you tal you talked about uh young people that uh you know they go to club to blow money and you know they you know living life a luxury lifestyle what is that percentage of the young people of Nigeria many Nigerian young people many of their businesses the one the ones that are doing proper businesses you can see you know what the economy is doing to them so let's focus on addressing the structural imbalance ances that have made it so possible that the political process can be priced away from the average citizen anywhere in the world. You do not have such humongous amounts being shelled out to buy just a piece of paper in the name of a firm and this is an anomaly. We cannot as Nigerians be rationalizing this or justifying this. But having said that, I think I will go back to the question you asked whether we've prioritized or placed more premium >> on age limit than the financial uh aspect.

[00:30:41]>> Yes, of course. I think what the young to uh not too young to run uh uh uh law addressed was one aspect of the structural imbalance which is the gerontocratic nature of our politics.

[00:30:57]But now that legal framework has not been also has not also been able to address the fundamental question of political financing and political financing is a big deal. Number one is that we are supposed to keep the threshold in a at a point where there can be free entry and free exit.

[00:31:20]If you look at the electoral act of 2026, the uh um I mean the campaign finance uh threshold has now increased for presidency. It has increased by over 100%. So we are seeing the heavy monetization of our political process and if that is not addressed, you cannot tell me that a Nigerian, a young person doing a honest business today can shell out uh even if let's say the person is 35 and he wants to run for president, he can shell out a 100 million era that APC is charging for you know presidential nomination.

[00:32:04]>> Okay. or even the NDC is charging 60 million. So this heavy monetization of our politics is something that will not do us any good and you can already see it from the outcomes we are having in terms of our political process. People go in there with the goal of recouping investment and you know your your guest in the studio said uh politics is serious business. Politics is service.

[00:32:33]It should be about service. It's not a business where you you put in money and then you want to go and recover money like a PLC. Yes.

[00:32:41]>> All right. I'm sorry. Let me ask you this now. So, does that mean in order to pass to get past the financial blocks, a new legislation will be needed therefore?

[00:32:51]Do you do do you feel so?

[00:32:54]>> Yes. Uh I don't know if you can still hear me because you have you're breaking up a bit.

[00:32:58]>> I can hear you loudly.

[00:32:59]>> What?

[00:33:00]>> Yes. Okay. What I would what we will advocate at our level at civil society is for there to be a change in the political culture because it's not just about uh legislation. It is also about the evolution of the political culture.

[00:33:18]The political culture is moving increasingly towards heavy monetization of our politics and the electoral act itself. Electoral act. I think that should be section 91 or so is validating this heavy monetization of our politics which is quite unacceptable. Even the young man in your studio, I don't know whether he has bought his form or he because he I suppose he's is a politician, but of course he probably will be waiting, you know, for you know somebody in in government to be able to uh back him and you do not advance democracy that way. You do not consolidate democracy that way.

[00:34:02]Democracy tends to recede where you have a minute aspect or a subset of the of the population dominating the politics because they have the access to resources and particularly it's not their personal resources they have access to state resources. Okay. We must make it clear that it is state resources that these people are using to ensure that they hijacked the political process and the political process is not open enough for any citizen with the ideas and the savviness to come there to say they want to go and serve the people.

[00:34:38]>> All right. Our politics right now is not about service. It's heavily monetized and it is not doing us any good.

[00:34:45]>> John is going to respond to you right away. John.

[00:34:48]>> Okay. So first let me begin by clarifying when I said politics is serious business what I meant is even like you said politics is about leadership is about service but service in itself to humanity is serious business governance is serious business that's what I meant >> so you don't come into that looking for um this with pity for a pity party it doesn't work that way and you he he talked about system you you you mentioned that as well you can see that the problem the fundamental problem we have is the lead the system of recruitment, leadership recruitment over here. There are countries that I have studied how they do it and I appreciate what they do and you can see the result in how they've survived over time.

[00:35:29]Israel is one. Singapore is another country just recently in point.

[00:35:33]>> Yes, case in point. Singapore just recently Iran >> you could see how Iran was able to survive. Iran people are now realizing that Iran is actually a superpower, right? Because of how it's it's able to prosecute and survive the war. uh this the gang up between Israel uh and US. So it's about leadership. There is a conscious uh system put in place to prune certain people out in in Singapore for instance. There are certain people with certain characters that would never get close to uh governance any any position in government. So we need that system. We don't have it. What I am saying is we must play he Mr. Alfred has the luxury of academic uh thinking to be to get scholarly with this conversation.

[00:36:16]I don't I'm I'm already in the fuel.

[00:36:18]>> Why do you feel so?

[00:36:20]>> Yes, I he he is in the CSO you know they ideate and and then uh advocate I am already in the field. I'm dealing with the current present reality.

[00:36:30]>> Let me let me let me point something out as well. Okay. Because you know something >> I think I should respond to that. I think I should respond to that.

[00:36:38]>> Okay. Okay. Okay. Quickly go just go ahead before I make this next point.

[00:36:42]>> Yes. Yes. um for us to move from the ideal to the uh to to to a better reality on the ground. Of course, uh I I like the fact that uh he is talking about the fact that I have the luxury of you know thinking about it academically. Yes, we have to think in terms of those uh ideas that would drive us and shape our policies, shape our political culture to the point where we begin to do the right thing. In fact, what I expect from uh somebody like Mr. Tukura there is that all the youth in APC, they can they can go to the secretariat of APC and insist that they want to pay 500,000 for the nomination form of APC. That is the kind of action I'm expecting for the young people. Are you okay with the state of the country? Are you okay with the direction of the country? Are you okay with the same old people holding the h the system, you know, hostage?

[00:37:41]Now, I'm not saying we need a pity party. I'm not interested in a pity party. In fact, I advocate for the fact that we must organize rather than agonize. But you can't come here and tell Mr. Alfrey. Okay, Mr. Alfrey. Mr. Alfrey, I like I like the word you use that we must organize rather than agonize. That's what we are doing.

[00:38:00]Organizing within the system. That's why why I'm telling you that I do not share the same luxury that you have. I appreciate the work that you do.

[00:38:07]Continue doing it. But we who are already here understand the hurdles. We see them practically. We manage the landmines. So which is why I am saying that we are in a in a place where the society itself you first thing you that happens I bring out a post I'm going to contest. The first thing that would happen is the same young people as myself and some would even go some from the cso your colleagues will come out and start saying that who is he? What experience does he have? Does he have money? On and on election day, we see this thing play out where people come with their voters card and tell you point blank that see you don't give me money, I'm not going to vote for you.

[00:38:45]>> The same society members.

[00:38:46]>> Yes.

[00:38:47]>> All the voters themselves >> they all come we come from the same society.

[00:38:50]>> Okay.

[00:38:50]>> Right. And one thing I would like Mr. I'm free to understand is that we are in a a country who that uh operate and survive on as a nation but we are yet to understand the need for statehood.

[00:39:03]Statecraft is not a thing yet. So we are in the gutters. We are dealing with crude political uh this um this permutations. So this is the reality that we are faced with. And I mentioned something earlier to him where when I said that people like you and I I if if I ask you now I'm not sure you've contributed to one or two persons to run for election young person based on their ideologies your what's the CSO itself >> ideology or based on financial imp I'm going back I'm throwing back at him because the cso itself you are all part of the society part of the nation the process for Now what is the has the CSO also done to say hey young man let's raise fund for you and back you and if your organization has been doing that to how many people it's a dot it's a drop in the ocean so this is the challenge that we are facing we need a new >> okay I'm free I'm sure would like to respond this time I'm quickly go ahead and respond before I I come in here >> I think you have made very valid point around what the challenges are which is something we cannot run away from. We cannot wish away the you know the problems in the system. And in terms of what my organization has done, my organization has provided training. We have provided training for young aspirants. We have even given some form of monetary support for young women aspirants that are interested in uh positions at the local government level like you know uh counselor counselorship position and all of that. Of course, we have limited resources. But what I am saying to you Daniel is that we should not be corrupted into a system that is already rigged against the youth. We should not be co-opted because if you if you if you have been corrupted into the system and you say oh it's okay we'll pull funds together that system will only produce that even if you get there it will only produce a few of you and of course the people who are the old men will continue to hijack the process. All right, just just hold our thoughts. Let me just hold that thought. Let me come let me bring up this this other point.

[00:41:14]Uh John, >> yes.

[00:41:16]>> The not too young to run law has no doubt, you know, encouraged a lot of young people. It has produced so many young persons who otherwise probably would not have even be able to get near anywhere near the corridors of power.

[00:41:30]>> But majority of these so-called young people are still from the uh you know uh community of the elites. How did you know exactly where I was going? Because recently, even though all the results are not out yet, we heard that son of former president uh Yu Bhari, you know, is in the race. Son of former military head of state, what's his name again? I can't quite >> good. He's in the race. These are young people and so many other young persons.

[00:42:01]Look at the caliber of these young people. Do you think if they want to contest twice over they cannot afford the resources for campaign and for the nomination forms? So look at what many Nigerian youth are complaining about. Is there a chance that people like you can start focusing on that to challenge your own party and indeed other political parties as well so that these financial barriers as it were can be removed.

[00:42:28]>> Okay. So you see the talking about the realities the practicalities of these things um when you you have a law and until and unless that law is amended there's nothing we can do about that right then also even within in uh advanced democracies where you have uh specific this laws around limiting um money that comes into campaigning influence of money in electioneering cycle they still find ways around that they call them packs >> and guess what? CSOS they use CSOS. So somebody comes and tell you that hey my organization is sponsoring this ad campaign for you uh ad buy and then they pump money before you know you've beat the threshold legally and nobody will hold you back. They there would always be a walkound. Why are we not look considering a workar around against the barriers that have been put in place and again here here I'll give you a practical example >> okay >> with my area council to tell Mr. that the position that I'm taking is yielding practical results. We had in the in the FCC right now, we have four new chairman that have just come into power. These are people that the old guard didn't want to come into power but because we were able to organize ourselves. We were able to bootstrap at first and then eventually we got we had leadership certain few select few within the leadership like uh Senator Aduda who backed us.

[00:43:58]>> Okay. at the end of the day and we succeeded. My elected chairman elect for B area council for instance he is after this wedding next month you're going you're going to come and see by by next year we'll come back and have this conversation an invitation >> you would agree yes you are invited even Mr. Alfrey is invited >> I'm sure he had >> so you would agree with me that the area council had never had a chairman like him because intellectually he's the soundest of them all and then he's prepared for governance he's had trainings that Mr. has been >> let me ask let me ask question if he had not organized and if he himself had not bootstrapped his journey over the years he would not be in a position to >> we need to manage what is left of our time now I'm free let me ask you one last question before we start to wrap things up >> how can alternative power blocks be built to challenge what we have at the moment because >> many people say maybe independent candidacy will solve it what are your thoughts regarding that Yes, I I I welcome any process that will lead to more inclusion, but I do not think there are quick fixes and um I definitely agree with uh Daniel that there's a lot of work to be done. It's just that we disagree on the methodology. why he thinks that um we can we can manage within a system that is already rigged financially rigged against young candidates. I think we need a disruption of that system. And I'm giving him a practical example.

[00:45:29]Maybe uh Daniel is too tied to reality.

[00:45:33]Maybe he needs uh he needs to be nudged.

[00:45:37]Maybe we need to nudge you because I love your level of uh uh exposure in the political space. probably we need newer methods to disrupt because you cannot tell me that a youth should be looking for 100 million NRA to you know to to to run for president or 50 million and you know all those >> if you have ideas those ideas themselves should be value should be placed on them and that's why you know in other parts of the world like you mentioned they are not just talking in terms of politics they're talking about innovation the contribution the youth can make and they are deliberately including them and so we even have a uh legislation a current legislation about uh you know women uh you know special seats for women which has not been pushed to the to to the to the four so marginalized groups also have to come together and I believe there are alternative political parties it's not only the APC >> but you see you see you see something >> thank you very much let's wrap wrap things up now because our time is almost up >> okay so you see something that we we're still cycling back to Mr. Humphrey is still philosophizing around this subject. You asked him for an alternative. There's no practical solution. So we have to deal with the reality on ground >> in your in your own view. Do you think independent candidacy >> if you sign into law perhaps >> hopefully in time to come? Do you think it could solve this >> right now? No. Nigeria is not is is not going. And the the reason is that we we are like I said we're a nation you know bonded culturally uh along religious and tribal ethnic lines. So the party structure goes down that way. I can tell you that in the FCT each area council name any area council I will tell you people within the area council that if they do not back you you're not going to win elections because there are layers of supporters that listen to them for direction.

[00:47:29]>> All right. So where and these people already belong to political parties when you come you have an independent candidate. In fact during negotiations there are people that are told point blank you have good ideas you are sound but you are not cable you cannot win an election. So for that reason we're going with this person. These are the realities that we do.

[00:47:48]>> All right >> and he he talked about youth participation. This is something that I think the cso should come on.

[00:47:54]>> Definitely definitely that's his view.

[00:47:57]Yes. But it is something that I think the youth day we see a social hammer on for youth do something to push something over the line have a track record that will speak for you and then you can have an in inro into government to be clear Mr. I'm not happy Mr. To be clear, I'm not happy that we are being asked to pay exorbitant fee to get a ticket. What I am saying is that it is what it is and we have nothing to do right now because there's no law stopping that. So we now have to find a way we can't >> to survive with that.

[00:48:31]>> It's like you have you have been favored by the system. So you don't want to do anything about it. But it's fine. It's fine. What I want to say is that >> Anfrey, our time is up and we need to go at this time. But I must thank you very much indeed for joining the program tonight. Anfrey Ajanaku is a pro-democracy campaigner, a civil society member and of course a former journalist but always a journalist.

[00:48:54]Thank you for joining the program tonight. And of course Tukura John Daniel is a member of the ruling APC. A young man himself. I wouldn't say you have all the money but I wouldn't say you are broke as well. Not >> you know exactly where you stand.

[00:49:08]>> I want the money.

[00:49:10]>> Well, thank you very much for joining the program tonight. Nice to be here.

[00:49:13]>> That's our show for today. The prize of power. Young, qualified but broke. Where is the hope for Nigerian youth? The conversation will definitely continue.

[00:49:22]But this is all draw the cotton for tonight's show. I'll see you again tomorrow. Don't forget you can follow us on all social media handles. You can also find me on all social media handles. We'll continue the conversation there. I'll see you again tomorrow. I am Enak.

[00:49:35]Bye for now.