Democracy Day: Imo ex-Gov seeks legislative framework to guarantee youth quotas
Former Governor of Imo, Dr Ikedi Ohakim, has called for a holistic legislative framework that guarantees youth quota across all levels of government.
Ohakim, in a statement titled: “The Nigerian Youth and the Future of Our Democracy: 2025 Democracy Day Message,” on Thursday in Abuja, stated that true democracy is not just representation by proximity, but participation by inclusion.
“True democracy is not only the right to vote but the right to be voted for.
“We cannot continue to pay lip service to youth inclusion. We must build real structures that enable it and sustain it.
“Let us enshrine it in our constitution that young people must sit at the table where decisions are made — not just as praise singers, not just as aides, but as equals in vision and in responsibility.”
He observed that Nigeria is a country where over 70 per cent of the population is under 35.
“This demographic reality is not a burden; it is instead a blessing, a reservoir of talent, energy, creativity and transformative power.
“Today, I speak not only as a former Governor but as a father, a patriot and a firm believer in the boundless potential of our youth,” he said.
He commended the Nigerian youths on their entrepreneurial and managerial skills in sectors of the economy.
“From the ‘Not Too Young To Run’ Act to the #EndSARS movement, young Nigerians have proven that they are not passive recipients of change but active agents of transformation.
“They have organised, spoken truth to power, innovated in the tech space, created jobs, driven the creative industry and sustained the economy in many unacknowledged ways.
“And so, on this Democracy Day, I challenge our political leaders, institutions and parties: Let us move beyond tokenism.
“Let us intentionally mainstream youth voices in policy-making, governance and nation-building.”
Ohakim, therefore, urged the youths to always be ready to hold the leaders accountable.
“To our youth, I say: the future is not tomorrow; it is now.
“Engage. Organise. Learn. Lead. Hold us accountable.
“Nigeria is your inheritance — you must protect, rebuild, and reimagine it,” he said.