The State chairman of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN) in Ogun, Olóyè Akolawole Shoremi, has criticized a recent lawsuit challenging the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission’s (OGSIEC) decision to lower the age of candidacy. The lawsuit was reportedly filed by a group named the Trustees of the Voters Awareness Initiative, at a Federal High Court in Lagos. Shoremi described the action as an attack on youth participation in governance.

Speaking on Friday, October 18, 2024, at the Ogun Youth House in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital where he hosted youth leaders, Shoremi expressed his dissatisfaction with the number of young candidates running in the upcoming council election. He emphasized that the lawsuit is a deliberate distraction orchestrated by politicians who oppose youth inclusion in governance.

“I was shocked to read about the lawsuit filed by some individuals, disguised as a non-governmental organization, challenging OGSIEC’s reduction in the age of candidacy,” Shoremi said. “This legal action is a subtle attempt to undermine policies that are designed to elevate the participation of young people in governance. Clearly, those behind it do not have the best interests of the youth at heart.”

Continuing, Shoremi condemned the timing and nature of the lawsuit, suggesting that it was a strategic move aimed at suppressing the relevance of young people in both present and future governance. He urged Ogun youth to remain vigilant and proactive in shaping their future, particularly in the context of the upcoming elections.

“As custodians of the future, we must always protect the interests of young people. This lawsuit is nothing more than an attempt to diminish the role of youth in governance, and we must resist it,” he added.

He also called on youth across the state’s twenty local governments to engage with political candidates, urging them to host forums to evaluate candidates’ ideologies and determine who is genuinely supportive of youth interests. He highlighted the autonomy of local governments as a critical opportunity for the youth to take charge of their future.