By Elias Obadina
Nigerian youths are often encouraged to join politics with a view to getting the opportunity to contribute their quota to the nation building efforts.
During #EndSARS protest, one thing many of our political leaders were usually saying to pacify the youths was the call on them to also join politics and put themselves forward for elective offices with a view to be in power and help put in place the good governance they so desired.
It is however an open secret that politics in Nigeria is too complex, too complicated and never a tea party at all . As much as Nigerian youths love to participate in politics, in fact, accounting for at least 50% of people at campaign ground and even on the queue during election day, some powers that be, the so called political leaders are more often than not not ready to support youth with political aspirations.
These leaders are much more comfortable using these youths as polling agents, political thugs, canvassers among others than supporting them whenever they put themselves forward for elective offices.
In other words, many Nigerian youths in politics are proverbial cow without tail who suffers unnecessarily and helplessly not because they are not fit and competent for that office which they seek to occupy but because some power brokers, the so called leaders will just joyfully serve as the stumbling block playing Goliath and wall of Jericho to their political pursuit
Because you are not directly connected to the governor or be a child of one of the powers that be and controlled the party, or have so much money to buy these so called leaders, even if they knew quite alright that you remained the best candidate for the job at hand, you will just simply not exist as far as your political ambition is concerned.
This sheer acts of wickedness must however be discouraged and sharply rebuked and condemned if truly the nation want to tap from the abundant potentials inherent in the youth for its development.
Currently, the country is battling with so much insecurity challenges and it's obvious that 90% of those who are involved are the youths. When you don't allow the youth to also express themselves in the political space, you may as well be forcing them out to look for alternatives.
This brings to my mind the case of Ayomide Ogunmoye, one of the vibrant and highly responsible youths offering to serve as the next Chairman of Ikenne local government under the All Progressives Congress (APC)
Here's a an energetic youth who had in the last ten years remained committed to preserving the ideals of APC working vigorously for its victory right from its humble beginning as Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN)
I remembered how this son of a late soldier, a soldier too at heart rose up against some established political thugs and security agents who wanted to scuttle the victory of ACN against Peoples Party of Nigeria (PPN) backed by Otunba Gbenga Daniel then during 2011 governorship election.
For daring to confront the powers that be and prevented them from rigging, he got hot slaps from one of the security agents and was almost locked up but for the intervention of Barr Sunday Adeniyi, a chieftain of the party who came to his rescue.
He had since undertaken many other assignments for the party. Unfortunately, now that he is offering himself to serve as the next elected chairman of his local government, the powers that be are not just ready to support. The young man's sacrifices of the past for the successes of the party at the polls in time past simply don't just exist again.
Ayomide's case is a classical example of the proverbial cow without a tail just like many Nigerian youths out there in politics who only rely on the help of the almighty God to fufill their political ambitions.
It's my candid opinion that our hardworking and youth loving governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun will please rise up to this occasion and ensure that this oppressed young man and other youths in politics in Ogun State are supported to achieve their political aspirations.
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