By Fortune Eromosele, Abuja

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, Secretary-General of the Nigerian Youth Congress, NYC, and Nigerian Youth Ambassador to the United States, Dr. Raymond Edoh, has said no elections will hold without the involvement of youths.

Edoh in a statement in Abuja, explained that youths account for 70 percent of the country’s population, adding that voter apathy would be easy if the youths fail to turn up during elections.

He said, “I think I would like to say it boldly, and I’m saying it boldly in a capital letter. No youth, no election, no winning in Nigeria. In Nigeria, we cover 70 to 75 percent of the total number of this nation and even in the electoral cycle.

“Also, if you check the number of people who vote every official into office, you will still agree with me that we still have up to 70 percent of the vote that brings every other person into office. Now this is the strategy, you know, we used to gallivant on this but not putting it into action, by 2023, the show is going to be a different thing entirely for the youth.

“Our strategy is mapped out already. And I would like to make it straight to Nigerians. We are not taking power from anybody. But I assure you, anybody who’s contesting any political office in Nigeria, number one, we must have you on the table. Because we are the youth, without us, you cannot win the election.

“We must have you on the table. You will tell us your political agenda or your electoral promises. You give us your electoral promises, and you will sign it and you must carry it out. This time around the game has changed.

“Any politician in Nigeria from the position of the President to the last, don’t make promises for people just to vote you into office. We have changed that pattern. Whether you like it or not, any promise you’re giving to us, a high percentage of that promise must be fulfilled, so, the time for promises not being fulfilled has gone. So if you must promise us what you’ll be doing for the people, then automatically, you should be ready for that.”

He emphasised that youths are ready and have the ability to contest for elections against any opposition party or personality.

“Politics is a game. And it’s a game that can be changed at every second or every minute, I say to you that we, the youth of Nigeria, are ready to contest or compete with anybody in any political office in Nigeria. We are not saying the adults should go or the older generation should go out of the office. No, they are fathers,” he said.