Emmanuel Obi
The Confederation of West African Youths has endorsed the Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate, Prince Adewole Adebayo, calling for a new political direction centred on accountability, youth opportunity and better governance in Nigeria.
The group’s Regional President, Ambassador Israel Akinola, announced the position on Wednesday in Abuja during a visit to the SDP national secretariat, where he said Nigeria’s young population could no longer remain on the margins of political decision-making.
Akinola said the organisation, which has members across West Africa, was seeking leadership capable of translating the country’s human and technological potential into opportunities for its growing youth population.
He said the group was particularly concerned about limited access to funding, education and institutional support for young Nigerians seeking to develop businesses, technology and other innovations.
The endorsement followed what Akinola described as continued engagement with Adebayo’s political message, including his emphasis on poverty, insecurity and the need for change.
“We are here today to have an intellectual discourse with you and, having listened to your message of hope, we are ready to pledge our unwavering support,” he said.
‘Nigeria needs a new direction’
Akinola said the organisation’s objective was to promote youth participation and better governance across West Africa.
He criticised what he described as a culture in which citizens celebrate elected officials for providing basic public services that should ordinarily be guaranteed by government.
He called for greater civic awareness and accountability, saying government policies should produce tangible benefits for ordinary citizens rather than primarily serving political or elite interests.
The SDP National Chairman, Sadeeq Gombe, who was represented by the party’s Vice National Chairman, Senator Ugochukwu Uba, said the party’s programme was anchored on the welfare and security provisions contained in Chapter Two of the 1999 Constitution.
Uba said the party’s recently unveiled manifesto offered what he described as a comprehensive programme for transforming the country.
“We cannot continue drifting, and we want to put this country back on track,” he said.
He attributed Nigeria’s prolonged development challenges to leadership, citing Chinua Achebe’s 1983 book, The Trouble with Nigeria, which examined leadership as a central national problem.
Adebayo urges grassroots engagement
Responding to the delegation, Adebayo thanked the group for its support but urged its members to take their political engagement beyond Abuja and connect with voters in their communities.
“Politics is done in the neighbourhoods,” he said.
Adebayo said political influence ultimately depended on the ability of political actors to communicate their ideas to citizens at the grassroots.
He urged the young professionals to identify areas of common interest with the SDP and engage Nigerians on issues affecting their daily lives.
The SDP candidate also recalled the role played by the Federation of West African Students in the struggle for independence, saying young people had historically been central to political change in West Africa.
“Politics is not a game of the mouth. It’s a game of the heart,” Adebayo said.
The meeting was part of engagements between political parties, candidates and youth organisations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
