As the 2027 general elections approach, a civil society group, Power In The Street (P.I.T.S), has trained about 120 youths on the use of personal computers to monitor electoral processes and promote transparency.
The initiative, led by Ms. Dabira Olayinka and sponsored by Amova Foundation, aims to equip young Nigerians with technological tools to independently monitor votes and hold political actors accountable.
Speaking at the conclusion of the training, activist and facilitator Comrade Shina Loremikan said Nigerian youths must take responsibility for determining their political future.
He asked them to move beyond political apathy and actively participate in governance.
Loremikan expressed concern over what he described as the passive attitude of Nigerian youths compared with their counterparts in other countries.
He cited protests in France and Spain as examples of young people demanding better living conditions and improved governance.
He noted that youths in France had been protesting infrastructural decay for two weeks, despite the availability of free education. Their counterparts in Spain were demonstrating for better housing and social inclusion.
“Reverse is the case in Nigeria,” he said. He asked young Nigerians to take their destiny into their own hands.
Group Urges Youths to Develop Charter of Demands
He advised the youths to develop a “charter of demands” to serve as a guiding document for engagement with political aspirants at all levels.
According to him, such a document would enable citizens to clearly communicate their expectations to candidates before elections. It would also help them systematically monitor campaign promises after the candidates assume office.
Loremikan said voters need to hold elected officials accountable for their commitments. They should not allow political promises to be forgotten after elections.
Also speaking, P.I.T.S leader Olayinka criticised what she described as the recurring excuses by elected officials for failing to deliver meaningful results during their tenures.
She warned that politicians currently relying on the approximately 90-day campaign period to seek public support could return at the end of their tenure to argue that four years were insufficient to achieve their promises.
Olayinka’s remarks underscored the need for voters to scrutinise candidates’ commitments and demand accountability throughout their time in office.
The organisers asked young Nigerians to look beyond campaign rhetoric and use their numerical strength to influence the outcome of the 2027 general elections.
They also stressed the importance of informed voting and sustained civic participation.
They encouraged the youths to deploy the skills acquired during the training to monitor electoral activities and promote transparency.
The initiative is expected to contribute to grassroots participation in the electoral process by equipping young people with technological skills to scrutinise elections and demand accountability from political officeholders.
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