A political pressure group, #YouthDecide2019, on Monday applauded massive turnout of youths in the February 27 Presidential and National Assembly elections.

The National Coordinator of the group, Mr. Chukwuma Okenwa, gave the commendation in Enugu on Monday during an interview with newsmen.

Okenwa, who was an election observer during the election, said that the turnout of young people was “impressive and unprecedented” in the history of their participation in elections.

“I went around most polling units in Enugu metropolis, including the information we got from our men on the field, all indicated that young people came to the polling units as early as 7 a.m.

“Some of them stayed there to over 2 p.m. in places where voting started late due to late arrival of materials and INEC ad hoc staff to the polling units.

“I am quite impressed with the change of attitude and show of patriotism by young people and especially seeing them participate in the process even in places where voting started late,” he said.

On the clinching of a senatorial zone in Anambra South by a candidate of the Young Peoples Party (YPP), Okenwa lauded the zeal and courage of young Nigerians in the party for making a statement, particularly in the South-East.

The coordinator said that the YPP, although a newly registered party, showed the strength in youths’ demography since youths between 18 and 35 years constitute over 51 per cent of the total registered voters as said by INEC.

“What happened in the senatorial seat of Anambra South; shows that demography power of the youths can be used to upturn a long existing status quo.

“It also shows that young persons have the electoral power to distort the age-long convention.

“It also shows that political power does not belong to godfathers or party blocs but that power belongs to the people, especially the youths, and they give it to whom they chose.

“They can also challenge an age-long status quo and disrupt it forever especially taking over positions, that should naturally belong to them anyway,” he said.

Okenwa, however, encourages more young people to get involved in party politics, by belonging to a party and make their voices heard; vie to be delegates and executives of such political parties to change things for the better.

He said: “They must get involved in the day-to-day running of the political party and seizing the party structure in order to influence the choice of candidates of the party for various political posts at the party’s primaries.

“If all party primaries can be influenced by youths to present credible and trusted candidates, who have a futuristic agenda for the betterment of the community, state or country; then, we are about to bring a lasting solution to bad governance.”

Okenwa, however, thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for signing the Not-Too-Young-To-Run Bill into Law; but regretted that most political parties had refused to create a level playing field that would conveniently accommodate the youths.

“Some of the political parties had used party rules as well as high cost of party forms for primaries to chase young people away and only made them ‘political praise-singing boys’.

“Anyway, these negativities should be fought by Civil Society Organisations, the press, INEC and international organisations in the country,” he added.

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