As part of efforts to achieve youth inclusiveness in governance and policymaking, the #SupportMeToLead movement is set to engage young Nigerians aspiring for leadership positions in the country through its mock elections.
Convener of #SupportMeToLead, Comrade Austine Okolie, said the movement was formed out of the “quest for good leadership” and to “enthrone a Nigerian democracy with more dedicated leaders while ensuring adequate representation of youths and the vulnerable in the society.”
Okolie stated this in a statement issued by the Director, Media & Publicity of the movement, Comrade Dandove Nwankwo, on Thursday.
Okolie said that the movement (www.supportmetolead.org) will produce capable leaders by ensuring the active participation of more Nigerian youths in politics through its political enlightenment and campaign sponsorship programmes.
He highlighted poor campaign funding and the high cost of nomination forms for various electoral offices in the country as major hurdles for youth representation in politics and governance.
The convener said: “From our indebt research, we discovered that 80% Nigerian youths lack the financial capacity to fund campaigns given that major donors and godfathers usually prefer older men whom they believe have more chances of winning, young people are naturally disenfranchised.”
He disagreed with the narrative that youths are too young to run but rather are “too poor to run and in dilemma as to how to mobilize sufficient funds to be eligible to contest elections.”
The statement read: “#SupportMeToLead is an evolutionary and purposeful democratic social movement organised with the goal of giving political voice to Nigerians particularly youths, using ‘mock elections’ as a yardstick to identify/determine emerging and ready youth aspirants/candidates. SupportMeToLead also posits that the initiative will provide the needed information and platform to mobilize campaign for funds ahead of the actual elections.
“Lowering the accessibility barrier to youth inclusiveness in our contemporary democracy and governance. It has the unique possibilities to redirect the future of our country by ensuring that young people actively participate in decision making at the helm of the affairs of our country.
“In our quest to ensure fairness and level playing ground for all eligible political aspirant like in other climes where the young are given preferential treatment all policy making and decisions which translates into socio-economic growth, it is important that all critical stakeholders should encourage #SupportMeToLead.”
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