Youth leaders in the Federal Capital Territory have warned young Nigerians against allowing politicians to use them to perpetrate violence during the 2027 general elections, urging them instead to channel their energy into peaceful and constructive political participation.
They also called for greater inclusion of young people in governance, saying youths should not be mobilised only during elections but given meaningful opportunities to participate in decision-making and policy formulation.
The call came after the emergence of new leaders of the FCT Youth Network, FCT-YN, with the newly elected President, Comrade Yamawo Destiny, pledging to unite youths across the territory and create a common platform for engaging government and other stakeholders.
Speaking shortly after receiving his certificate of return following his election on Saturday, Destiny said his immediate priority was to ensure that youths in the FCT spoke with one voice in advocating good governance and greater inclusion.
“My expectation is to unite all the youths of the FCT, to talk in unity and in one voice, to advocate for good governance and inclusive governance in the FCT,” he said.
He urged young people to participate responsibly in the 2027 elections, particularly warning against reckless use of social media.
Destiny said youths had the right to demand good governance but should do so within the confines of the law and in a manner that respected the rights of others.
“We will be trying to educate our youths to maintain peace even in their social engagement. We have the zeal to advocate for good governance, but it is also good to do it in such a way that we will not trample on another person’s rights,” he said.
He specifically cautioned young people against allowing politicians to exploit them for violence during the elections.
“My advice to the youth is that we should not be used as tools for violence in the next election in 2027,” he said.
According to him, youths who allow themselves to be used to cause violence could eventually become victims, jeopardising their opportunity to benefit from a better Nigeria.
“If our elders are trying to build this nation, it is for people like us to take over tomorrow. If we are used today to cause violence, we may be victims of the violence and might not stay to see what we need to see if Nigeria succeeds,” he said.
On youth representation in the current administration, Destiny acknowledged that young people had been appointed to positions of responsibility in the FCT, including among indigenous political and administrative leadership.
He, however, called for more opportunities for young people with the capacity and track record to contribute to governance.
“Youths are being carried along, but like we always advocate, we need more,” he said.
Also speaking, the newly elected Ambassador representing non-indigenous youths in the FCT, Comrade Felix Attah Emmanuel, said the new leadership would work to ensure that the concerns of young people reached government through constructive engagement.
Emmanuel, a former student union leader who served in various capacities, said his experience had prepared him for the task.
He asked youth leaders to adopt dialogue and consultation before resorting to confrontation.
“We have to do with consolidation, consultation before confrontation,” Emmanuel said.
He said youth leaders had a responsibility to channel the energy of young people towards productive activities, particularly as the 2027 elections approach.
“Our members are the populace with the highest level of energy, and we as leadership think it is the right time for us to see how we can channel our energies in a more purposeful and the right way to make our demands so that our demands can be heard,” he said.
He added that youths would have no reason to resort to violence if government responded positively to legitimate demands.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Staff of the Abuja Original Inhabitants Youth Empowerment Organisation, AOIYEO, Abubakar Sadiq Mohammed, commended the organisers for conducting what he described as a peaceful and coordinated election.
Mohammed said the improvement over previous elections showed that youths were increasingly embracing dialogue, coordination and strategic engagement instead of confrontation.
He urged the new leaders to guard against divisions within the youth movement, stressing the importance of unity.
“My advice to them is that they should have unity. Because without unity there will be division, and if there is division, the foundation has cracked,” he said.
He acknowledged that disagreements were inevitable in youth activism but said such differences should be resolved through dialogue.
“You can disagree to agree. You can disagree in order to push your point, but after agreeing, don’t divide the house,” he said.
Mohammed also challenged youths to move beyond demanding support from government and develop practical ideas and programmes that could attract government backing.
He said young people must be creative and develop conceptual frameworks capable of addressing societal challenges.
“Youth are not just leaders of tomorrow; youth are still leaders of today,” he said.
He urged the new leadership to unite indigenous and non-indigenous youths across the FCT and work towards making the territory and Nigeria more peaceful and viable.
