Why I’m Voting for the First Time!

Emitomo Tobi Nimisire

I was a panellist at the #YVote Festival last year, and everyone in attendance agreed that something different about this election season is evident in Nigerians’ intense interest in and readiness for it. This is supported by data, which shows that INEC added 9.5 million new voters to the 84 million it had in 2019; though between 2015 and 2019, INEC added 16.5 million new voters. What’s more intriguing is that 84% of these new registrants are young people, who account for 26.6% of Nigeria’s 214 million people and 54.4% of the country’s 50.3% voting population (estimated utilising data from DataReportal). The youth are the ones who should, in all fairness, use their voting power to guide this nation towards a better future.

I sincerely hope that we will, as recent events like #EndSARS, the #ASUUStrike, and #TwitterBan have demonstrated how much our indifference to politics and governance can and will cost us, including our safety, jobs, access to quality education and healthcare, and, worse still, our lives.

Nigeria has documented 2,293 deaths as a result of terrorism and organised crime in just the fourth quarter of 2022 (SBM Intelligence). While the purchasing power of the Naira sharply decreased between September 2021 and September 2022, inflation increased from 16.63% to 20.77%, plunging Nigerians deeper into extreme poverty (NBS).

Our legislators are introducing repressive laws like those on hate speech, social media, and cross-dressing while rejecting progressive ones like the gender bills. Instead of institutionalising more effective security measures, favourable monetary policies, employment schemes, and creating opportunities for foreign investment, the government seems to be on a mission to make life more difficult for Nigerians.

I think that young Nigerians have had enough; they now know who to avoid voting for if they want to advance in life, and they also understand the importance of choosing representatives who are forward-thinking enough to hasten recovery.

In a similar vein, because only 7.89% of women are represented in the final list of candidates, I anticipate that, given that 50.6% of registered voters are female, they will vote for candidates who will represent their interests.

This year, I look forward to voting for candidates who:

Possess the competence and capacity to lead Nigeria to the glory it deserves.
Have the most trustworthy character to serve as public servants.
Have the courage to make human-centred decisions.
Have demonstrated enough genuine compassion to make our socio-economic realities now and in the future better.

Why are you voting this year?

– Emitomo Tobi Nimisire is a Writer, Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) Advocate, and Communications Strategist.