Yiaga charges young political candidates on innovation and partners with lawyers for free legal services

Yiaga Africa Executive Director Samson Itodo highlighted the need for young political candidates to be innovative to meet the demands of the 2023 general elections.

Itodo said so during a two-day political organizing LAB workshop to offer technical support to young candidates between the ages of 25 and 35 on the campaign trail for the 2023 elections.

The event, which was an electoral law clinic, is part of Yiaga's "Turn Up Democracy" project, funded by the UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO).

Itodo said young candidates need technical support to adopt political organizing skills and improve their knowledge of election operations and election day.

He said: "These young people who have emerged as candidates on the ballot are seen as part of our own generational responsibility to provide technical support.

"We also help them organize effectively and understand the process as they prepare for elections.

“This lab also aims to equip them with the kind of skills they need to win elections.

"This program is just to inspire them and let them know that there is a generation of young people who are determined to change the face of politics in the country.

"They represent the new leaders that Nigeria must transform, as well as resolve the leadership crisis we face." He said the candidates also shared their challenges with each other, which would not only inspire them, but could also help them win the elections.

Itodo noted that this could produce more leaders who would solve the problems the country was currently struggling with. He said that participants selected for the training appear on the ballot of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

“We also ensured that all parties were represented; we also looked at age to comply with the Not Too Young to Run Act. »

Itodo said he is also considering first-time candidates running for elective office in the country. He, however, called for more young people between the ages of 20 and 35 to run for office in the future.

On the first day of the training, Yiaga Africa, in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association Young Lawyers Forum, (NBA YLF), sensitized 30 young lawyers with the aim of facilitating access to electoral justice for young political aspirants of the next general elections.

This, Yiaga said, is a means of providing pro bono legal services to Nigerian young adults participating in the electoral process. Itodo said that a total of 3,193 election petitions were filed during the general elections held between 2003 and 2015.

“In the 2019 general election, 766 petitions were lodged, bringing the total number of petitions lodged to date to 3,959. Section 133(1) of the Elections Act 2022 clearly states that the Participation in an election is the prerequisite for the presentation of an electoral petition by candidates and political parties. »

Decrying the level of non-compliance with court orders by government officials, Itodo described it as an abuse of the rule of law. He noted that the clinic will help tackle such cases which undermine national sovereignty, while urging institutions and Nigerians to call on the government and people who do not abide by the court order.

On the benefit of the clinic, he said, "Soon after President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the 'Not Too Young To Run' Bill, it was discovered that many young applicants, who wanted to run for elected office, had limited access to legal support, to defend and pursue their political aspirations."

He said it was due to financial capabilities to obtain legal services. “And we also saw cases where these candidates were not only replaced by their parties, but were unable to defend their rights. And so ensuring electoral justice was quite difficult.

"We felt that as part of our efforts to increase youth candidacy, as well as to increase political inclusion, it was necessary to mobilize young lawyers who could support young candidates with pro bono legal services. , providing them with advice on the provisions of the electoral legal framework in this case, the Constitution and electoral law, and assisting them in defending their mandate due to the nature of our electoral process.

"We work with these young lawyers to first build their capacity on the electoral legal framework. We also train them on electoral law because Yiaga Africa builds their capacity on electoral law, but also mobilizes and urges them to volunteer through support for young candidates running in upcoming elections, as a way to advance youth participation.

For his part, Yusuf Nurudeen, former President of the Nigeria Bar Association of Young Lawyers Forum, Ikeja Branch, said, “This clinic is a form of par...