In May 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari, signed the “Not Too Young to Run” bill into law.
The purpose of the law basically is to encourage youth participation in the Nigerian politics by reducing the age limits for candidates vying for different elective offices.
For instance, the law brought down the age qualification for presidential candidates from 40 to 30; Governorship candidates from 35 to 30; Senators from 35 to 30; House of Representatives and House of Assemblies, from 30 to 25.
It can also be said that in broad terms, the law seeks to get the youths interested in politics.
Nigerian pop star, David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido is perhaps one youth that could be said to have taken the ‘Not Too Young to Run’ campaign to heart.
Though not seeking any elective position, Davido got actively involved in politics late in 2018 when he began campaigning for his uncle, Sen. Isiaka Adeleke, who was the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Osun State.
Even though Sen. Adeleke didn’t was not declared the winner, the influence that Davido’s involvement brought to his electioneering campaign and the election generally cannot be overlooked.
He organised rallies in parts of the state such as Iwo, Ilesa and Osogbo where his presence attracted a large number of people, giving the rally the hue of a sold-out concert.
The singer entertained the crowd while also charging them to cast their votes for his uncle, Sen. Adeleke. Most people referred to him as the “star attraction on his uncle’s campaign trail.”
Besides his real time, live campaigns, Davido also put his uncle’s ambition on the consciousness of his numerous social media followers.
When his uncle lost out in the elections that is still being contested, he didn’t let that dampen his spirit.
In 2019, he kick-started a campaign with the hashtag “#DefendYourVote,” urging Nigerians to get their PVCs and endeavour to vote for a change in government.
He made it clear that he was not supporting a specific party, but rather individuals whom he believed would be able to do what needed to be done to move the country forward.
He joined the campaign team of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, round major cities in the country.
According to him, he was not paid by the party, but gave his time and voice to the party out of love for the country and the desire for a change in power from the incumbent President, Muhammadu Buhari.
He also took the campaign for ‘his’ candidates to his social media accounts, a platform where he is a force to reckon with in the continent and regions outside of it being the African singer with the most followings on social media, with over 10 million followers on Instagram and about 4 million followers on Twitter.
The 26-year-old star used his social media power to the fullest, taking on the role of a publicist, albeit an unpaid one, to give his mass of followers political information, campaign activities and election updates.
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On election days, he shared and tagged INEC’s official account with detailed information and election updates on his twitter account, including crises that took place at different polling units.
One of the most effective thing Davido did on the election days was the commentaries he provided on social media, especially on Twitter where he pressurised INEC and President Muhammadu Buhari to be transparent with the election process.
During the Presidential election, he posted about the crises, killings and snatching of ballot boxes at different polling units, thereby mounting pressure on INEC to cancel the elections at such places.
There is indeed no doubt that Davido’s actions contributed significantly to the global interest in the election, especially from the youth. So many youths and celebrities who had no interest in the elections prior to his campaign showed interest and also joined the #DefendYourVote campaign.
Everybody cannot vie for elective position, on the other hand, nobody should be exempted from playing politics. Arguably, the most touted expression among the senior citizens and even the youth is that ‘the youths are the future of the country.’
Yet sadly, the youths seem to have little or no interest in the politics of the country forgetting that politics controls everything.
Even if they are not interested in seeking offices, they can and should influence who takes decisions and makes polices for them; that’s what politics is all about.
Did Davido influence the youths? Definitely!
The elections are over but is politics over? The answer is no. Those who have been elected into various offices must be followed up to ensure they live up to their campaign promises.
The campaign for accountability must be sustained and more youths must join the train.
Davido has blazed the trail, here’s hoping that others, celebrities and none celebrities alike would come on board.
The Next Edition celebrates and wishes Davido, the Nigerian Super Star, the best in all his endeavours!
