Precious Nwonu
A social change advocate and former councillor in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Hon. Zainab Buba Galadima, has called on young Nigerians to take an active role in elections and civic activities, warning that political apathy could allow elected leaders to make decisions without citizens’ input.
She made the call on Tuesday at the sixth edition of the Frontier Discourse Annual Public Lecture Series and Awards, organised by Pacesetter Frontier Magazine at Merit House, Maitama, Abuja.
Zainab maintained that young people could translate their numerical strength into political influence if they actively participated in the democratic process and demanded accountability from those in government.
Her position differed from that of her father, elder statesman Buba Galadima, who had earlier argued that young Nigerians, despite their population strength, lacked sufficient voting power to influence the country’s political direction and called on older citizens to speak on their behalf.
Reacting to his position, she said political leaders often depended on citizens’ lack of participation to make decisions without facing public resistance.
“I certainly disagree with him. I think if we do not vote, because they bank on citizens’ apathy in participation, be it elections, be it anything. So if there is apathy, obviously they will do what they want,” she said.
She added that Nigerians had the collective strength to demand change if they became more involved in governance and decision-making.
“We are over 230 million people, compared to the people in government running things. I think we can do a lot and we can change a lot, so we do have a role to play,” she said.
Speaking on the lecture theme, Zainab identified insecurity as a major obstacle to democratic participation, noting that citizens could not fully exercise their rights or pursue opportunities when their safety was threatened.
She challenged young people to develop the courage to defend their values, speak out against wrongdoing and take responsibility for the country’s future.
“I wanted young people to understand that they could change so many things about this country. It is not just up to the country. It is about we, the people. It is because we allow just a minimum number of people to decide our fate,” she said.
The former councillor also questioned the practice of presenting government programmes as acts of generosity to citizens, insisting that public policies should be judged by their actual benefits and impact.
She specifically cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND), arguing that education loans should not be portrayed as government benevolence without acknowledging the financial obligations beneficiaries are expected to meet.
She maintained that citizens should understand the terms attached to such programmes and assess them based on their impact rather than accepting them as acts of generosity by political leaders.
Zainab’s remarks emphasized on the need for young Nigerians to move beyond complaints and take practical steps to influence governance through voting, civic engagement and sustained demands for accountability.
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