Featured
By Augustine Idiagbon
THE outcome of the 2026 Osun governorship election has renewed attention on the growing influence of Nigerian youths and their potential impact on the 2027 general elections.
The election, which returned Gov. Ademola Adeleke, also highlighted a critical question: whether large population of young people will translate into actual participation at the polls.
Prof. Philip Ujomo of the Federal University, Wukari, Taraba, believes youth participation must be understood within the context of political culture and good governance.
Ujomo stated that political culture involves the way a political system conducts its affairs and how citizens relate with those in authority.
He said that increased attention to accountability, transparency, citizen involvement and the delivery of democratic dividends could influence how young people participate in politics.
According to him, youths are more likely to participate meaningfully when they see elected leaders responding to issues affecting their daily lives.
According ti him, these include payment of salaries, provision of roads, electricity, water, security, employment opportunities and other basic amenities.
He cited Osun as an example, saying the administration of Adeleke had addressed some inherited salary arrears and other obligations.
Ujomo said that such actions could create a perception among citizens that government was fulfilling its side of the social contract.
He, however, stressed that good governance alone would not be enough to drive youth participation.
The professor said that the second important factor was what he described as “civic virtues” — the willingness of citizens to participate actively in democratic processes.
He said such participation should not begin and end on election day.
It should include registering to vote, obtaining Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, monitoring government activities, participating in town hall meetings and demanding accountability from elected representatives.
“People should show interest in the affairs of the country,” he said.
Youths and the power of numbers
Available electoral data underscore the importance of young voters to Nigeria’s political future.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, recorded 93,469,008 registered voters ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Of the figure, 37,060,399, representing 39.65 per cent, were between 18 and 34 years.
The European Union Election Observation Mission also reported that young people accounted for 76.6 per cent of new registrants during the voter registration exercise preceding the 2023 elections.
Despite this numerical strength, youth participation at the polls has remained a concern.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, recently described declining voter turnout as a serious challenge to Nigeria’s democracy.
He noted that presidential-election turnout declined from 53.7 per cent in 2011 to 43.6 per cent in 2015, 34.7 per cent in 2019 and 26.7 per cent in 2023.
The trend demonstrates that having millions of registered young voters does not automatically translate into actual voting.
This was also evident in the 2026 Osun governorship election.
INEC recorded 2,339,233 registered voters, with 1,010,684 accredited and 1,005,800 votes cast.
The figures showed that only about 43 per cent of registered voters participated in the election.
The Osun experience therefore raises an important issue ahead of 2027: the challenge is not merely getting more people onto the voters’ register, but getting them to participate when elections are held.
Registration and voter turnout
INEC’s ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, CVR, provides an important opportunity for young Nigerians who have attained voting age or who have never registered.
The commission says Nigerians, who are 18 years and above, as well as eligible citizens who did not register previously, can participate in the exercise.
The current CVR commenced on Aug. 18, 2025, and is scheduled to end on Aug.
It is therefore important that youths and Nigerians who have reached voting age should come out and exercise their civic duty come 2027.
Just like the Osun case, where voters showed passion, commission and dedication before , during and after casting their voices, our teeming young population can borrow a leaf and make 2027 elections participatory.
M.P
Tags: Youth Participation