I have always said and will continue to say it – Nigerian youths are confused. This confusion does not stem from information overload or even a lack of information but from our short-term memories. As polemic as my assertion may sound, please bear with me as I set forth my arguments.

We have all agreed that voting in Buhari ab intitio was a wrong choice. However, we are about exacerbating the already compounded issues of governance. I have been in stitches, laughing hysterically and just having moments of sober reflections (ironically) as I ponder the narratives on leadership especially for 2019 in Nigeria.

It is really laughable and unfortunately pitiable to see Nigerian youths jumping around with Sowore, Kingsley Moghalu and Fela Durotoye who are all primed as exemplars of potential presidential candidates. I still get to see some on LinkedIn and read about some more whenever I access my own version of social media.

Let’s not get it twisted – The Nigerian president is one of the most powerful folks in the world (more powerful that the United States president) simply because almost every appointment at the national level is done by him. Similarly, governance at the national level differs considerably from state and local government experiences. It is simply ‘Apples and Oranges comparison’ to think that some experience as a state/local player will be significantly relevant at the federal level. Fashola is a typical example epitomising the failure in attempting to scale state experiences to national level.

It thus becomes imperative that players at the national level be folks already familiar with the running and culture associated with national politics. This might explain why there has been the continued recycling of players at the national level. Their experiences (and contacts made) at that level is essentially needed especially in advisory roles. The 2015 and 2016 budgets presented by the Buhari administration is a testament to the fact that Kemi Adeosun (despite being a former commissioner of finance) and the budget minister were incapable of scaling up their experiences to meet the rigours required for preparing a national budget. Little wonder they practically reproduced the so-called PDP budget for subsequent years with slight modifications.

Being an aluta member or an activist is not governance. Such a person will display worse ignorance on governance than Buhari. Presidency is not public speaking neither are haphazard career appointments sufficient grounds for eligibility as a presidential candidate. Unfortunately, the ‘typical’ Nigerian youth cannot decipher this. A ‘typical’ Nigerian youth views any ‘janded’ person as enlightened. You see their eyes lit up when they get to hear of America and Switzerland. The ‘typical’ Nigerian youth is so bemused with stories surrounding governance structures in the UK and gets orgasmic when aware that young people are leaders of France and Canada.

France and Canada combined are not up to 85% of Nigeria’s estimated population. Government structure in both countries are different from Nigeria. These are countries with a well-established governance structure that can accommodate even an air hostess as prime minister. The absence of a figure head does not necessarily create vacuum. Take Trump’s decision to remove America from the Paris Agreement (a matter for another day), that decision has not stopped states from forging ahead with their own plans. Governors in their respective states as well as mayors have continued to press ahead with policies that are encouraging the diffusion of renewable energy technologies such as roof-top solar panels at the residential level as well as large scale solar and wind farms. California comes to mind where renewables now make up over a quarter of its total electricity supply source. Similar initiatives are happening across the US.

Again, Trump cannot necessarily intimidate state governors because the police system is organised at the state and local level. Yes, in emergencies the national guard can be federalised but then for valid purposes. Federal interferences like we have in Nigeria are virtually minimal. States in the US do not queue up monthly to receive federal allocations before they can survive. There are federal grants (for education and other federal initiatives) but states determine their viability viz their ability to attract businesses and create a sustainable markets that can be taxed. Resource control is localised.

It is thus wrong to draw directly from these countries in pushing for regime change in Nigeria without giving thought to the after effect. Despite Trump’s multi-billion empire, his governance style has lacked finesse. Having been used to giving all the instructions, he is finding it hard to be skilful in striking deals.

What happens when Sowore becomes president and is faced with the task of leading 180 million people, appointing thousands of board members as well as varied committees? How will he be able to balance that with drafting a foreign policy for Nigeria? How will be able to manage that with other sundry demands that require his attention? Lai Mohammed is another example of the ‘Apples and Oranges comparison’. He was scaled from being a party’s attack dog to a minister of communication. He has since inception failed to note the difference. Perhaps he might want to confer with Chikelu and watch videos of Akunyili to glean a little from them about the culture and attitude the office demands.

In making this reasonable albeit controversial suggestion to the Nigerian youth, I have thought deep and long and concluded that Nigerian youths must seize the day. The passage of the not too young to run bill is a further reinforcement that the country is gradually heading towards redemption. However, we cannot neglect the process of preparation. Considering the fact that all of the so-called candidates (youths) jostling about for recognition lack any national experience, I propose a gradual and sequential integration of the Nigerian youth into national governance. First, I propose a congress of Nigerian youths where a brief representation of the Nigerian youths is elected to represent our interests. Secondly, this body is then tasked with discussing with the current government on what percentages Nigerian youths will make where this regime to come back again with our support. It is expected that 45% of ministers/ SAs/SSAs and board members/chairmen at any instant must be Nigerian youths (between the ages 25 – 45). Based on this agreement, there must be a televised selection process that sees aspirants grilled/interviewed to form a pool of experts from which appointments will be made from. The essence of youths conceding leadership to the oldies for another four years is to provide them with the necessary knowledge and further familiarise themselves (Nigerian youths) with the rigours associated with leadership especially at that level. It is expected that such elected body is also replicated across the states and local governments. Minimum requirements in terms of educational achievements must be set while social media must be harnessed in ensuring that every criticism is taken seriously. For instance if up to 10000 votes/retweets are made in support of a cause, then the elected representatives are mandated to look into it. Of course, the detailed working of the elected representative as well as the management and financing is outside the scope of this write-up, however, there is no need agitating for control when we lack the requisite skills needed to effectively lead.

The Nigerian youths have a very rare and golden opportunity to chart a succession path devoid of bloodshed. However, wisdom is profitable to direct. The so-called agitation for Buhari to leave will be useless if we are replacing him with ignoramuses. Considering our sheer number and potential to disrupt the voting pattern, we can mobilise our numbers and demand for greater representation and mentoring before taking over the helm of affairs.

Adebayo Shittu may have been rude and ‘bombastic’ when he attacked Sowore, but he was damn right. The guy has no experience of what it takes to run a country. It is often said that you do not scratch your body with the same intensity that you feel the itch.