Leverage on Accurate Data for Effective Campaigns, Yiaga Africa Charges Young Candidates

• Young candidates vying for political offices in the forthcoming general elections have been urged to have a grasp accurate data to run their campaigns
• This charge was issued by Yiaga Africa in Sokoto state during a political lab for young candidates on Tuesday, December 20
• Yiaga Africa's director of programs, Cynthia Mbamalu, said having a grasp of accurate data will give young candidates a cutting edge ahead of polls

Sokoto, Sokoto - Yiaga Africa has charged young people to leverage accurate data to develop an effective campaign promoting transformative leadership.

In a statement made available to Legit.ng, Yiaga Africa's director of programs, Cynthia Mbamalu, said this on Tuesday, December 20, during a political organising lab for young candidates running for offices in Sokoto, Zamfara, and Kebbi states.

Read also

2023: Yiaga Africa partners NBA, young lawyers forum to provide pro bono service for young candidates

Yiaga Africa staged the training to empower women and young people running for office in the 2023 general elections with practical knowledge and organising skills required to organise campaigns and build movements around issues of interest.

At the training, Mbamalu said:

"While the northwest region provides for 28% of youth candidates in the country, Sokoto has 137 young candidates running for state assemblies. We hope to have more young people winning elections".

According to Cynthia, Nigeria's democracy needs to have the people represented, saying if young people are the majority of Nigeria's population, then we should have younger people in the office.

She said:

"The goal of political organising is to be more practical in discussing effective campaigns, identifying capacities you need to build communication strategies that can help you communicate with your constituencies."

Read also

2023 election: More pressure on INEC as powerful lawmaker hints on consequence of a failed poll

She also advised young people to use accurate data to run their election campaigns by identifying the number of local government, polling units, registered voters in their constituents, and every other information needed to win elections.

Mbamalu said:

"The lab is also an opportunity to develop strategies to build campaigns that promote transformative leadership to show that young people have the competence, capacity, and character to provide the leadership that the people desire."

Also speaking during the training, Professor of Political Science at the Usman Danfodio University, Prof Suleiman Kuna, decried the challenges young people face in politics while urging them to unite to achieve their purpose.

While interacting with young candidates on the dynamics of youth participation, Prof Kuna admitted that democracy and elections require huge financial investment, saying this has impacted youth participation.

Prof Kuna said:

"The youth must unite and confront these challenges irrespective of political party affiliation."

Read also

Buhari calls on china's other world leaders to consider debt cancellation

Governor's aide tells young candidates importance of honesty

Similarly, the special adviser to the Sokoto state governor on youth matters, Hon. Nuradeen Harande Mahe said the political organising lab is timely to boost young peoples' emergence into public offices.

He expressed optimism that 2023 will be better in terms of youth inclusion in politics, saying:

"Young people should be part of decision-making in both legislative and executive positions."

He also urged them to remain honest and faithful to their promises before and after winning elections.

He said:

"Young people need to prove to Nigerians that politicians can be trusted."

Source: Legit.ng