Abandoning Nigerian Youth After Election Unacceptable, Group Declares

The attitude of Nigerian politicians using youth in the build-up to national elections and later band among them is unacceptable, the president of National Youth Alliance (NYA), Ambassador Aliyu Bin Abbas, has said.

While inaugurating the chairmen of the NYA from the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as well as the unveiling of group’s official website and portal, yesterday at the NAF Conference Centre in Abuja, he said, “We must speak the truth: Many of our politicians have confused and misguided the youth—using them during elections, ignoring them during governance, and abandoning them after victory.

“Women, despite their strength, resilience, and numbers, remain largely confined to the margins of power. This is unacceptable. And this is why the National Youth Alliance exists,” he said.

According to him, the NYA is not a pressure group for noise, not a platform for violence, but a movement for structure, inclusion and leadership development.

“As we inaugurate our state chairmen across the federation, we are deliberately positioning young men and women who understand their communities, who believe in unity, and who are committed to service—not self.

To the newly inaugurated State Chairmen and FCT leadership, he charged them to be active, not just ceremonial figures.

“You are architects of grassroots transformation. You carry the responsibility of organising, educating and mobilising youths and women toward constructive participation in politics, governance and nation-building,” Abbas said.

According to him, “Today marks a historic milestone in the journey of the National Youth Alliance (NYA). We are not only inaugurating our 36 state chairmen and the FCT leadership, but we are also unveiling our official website and digital portal—a symbol of structure, transparency, and a new digital direction for youth engagement in Nigeria.

“This gathering is not ceremonial alone. It is symbolic. It is strategic. And above all, it is a statement of intent. Nigeria’s youths and women are angry. They are aggrieved. Not because they lack ideas or energy—but because for too long, they have been excluded, misled and underrepresented in the decisions that shape their lives and their future,” Abbas said.

According to him, the future of Nigeria will not be secured by age alone, nor by recycled leadership. It will be secured when youths and women are properly positioned—not as tools, but as decision-makers.

“We are not asking for power because of our age. We are demanding inclusion because of our competence, numbers, and stake in Nigeria’s future.

“The NYA will continue to advocate for peaceful engagement, political education, accountability, and responsible leadership. We will partner, we will engage, and where necessary, we will challenge—always in the interest of a better Nigeria,” he said.

In her goodwill message, a former Minister of State, FCT, Hajiya Ramatu Aliyu, who served as Mother of the Day, said that youth need to rise to take their rightful place.

She said that the youth in Nigeria must unite to make a difference and make Nigeria earn its rightful place as a giant of Africa.

“A dream that Nigeria moves forward is what we envisage. We can’t continue to do the same thing again and expect a different result. The answer is with you, the unity of Nigeria is non-negotiable. That you are bound by one unity, you will succeed. I envisage a Tsunami movement,” she said.