Adio: 2023 Polls Will Be Most Credible Elections Ever In this interview with Gboyega Akinsanmi, the National Publicity Secretary of Youth Party, Ayodele Adio speaks about the travails of the party in the
, the National Publicity Secretary of Youth Party, Ayodele Adio speaks about the travails of the party in the hands of the Independent National Electoral Commission, credibility of the 2023 elections and the failure of the main presidential candidates to decisively address issues affecting youth in the manifestos of their political parties
INEC successfully sponsored the amendment of Section 225A of the Constitution, while delaying our registration. The section was amended to require performance of parties at election, without giving any period to allow the parties to grow organically. It means party can be registered today and de registered tomorrow without a fair chance to mobilise or perform. Nonetheless, we fielded 11 candidates for House of Representatives and States Houses of Assembly all over the country in those elections.
Whilst INEC cannot disqualify a candidate without a court order, but can deregister the candidate’s party with a letter. Incredulous. CBN needs a court order to withdraw a banking license, but INEC can deregister in its sleep and it’s legal. Exclusion of candidates and parties have also been legalised as it no longer voids any election. The way INEC Chairman and commissioners are appointed can be better.
The most important lesson for us was the realisation of the huge gap in civic education. Most Nigerians, including many activists, civil society organizations and media specialists, have very little understanding of the workings of democracy. A lot of them asked us what the point of our struggle was and what was the need for another political party. These are the same people who cry everyday about the current state of affairs and the notoriety of the dominant political parties.
Youth Party is not contesting any political office in the next elections nationwide. What does the non-participation of the Youth Party mean for the country’s political development? I always boast that we have more registered members in our political party than the Conservative Party in the United Kingdom.
We have scrutinised the manifesto of the leading candidates and some of their positions align with our ideology. In a policy document we published last year titled The Bold Revenue Plan, we called for the complete removal of petrol subsidies to free up resources to fund health care, education, national security and infrastructural development. So, we are glad that two of the candidates have promised to take that bold step if elected.
With what I have seen in the Edo, Ekiti and Osun elections, I’m optimistic that the elections will be credible. Or put differently, the elections will be very difficult to rig or manipulate. Since the Youth Party is not contesting the next presidential poll, is there any likelihood that it will support one of the leading presidential candidates? Can you give reasons for the decision of the party in this respect?
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