By: Sunday Ameh
…Says Youths Must Translate Voting Strength Into Leadership
The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice of Ondo State, Kayode Ajulo (SAN), has urged young Nigerians to take full ownership of the country’s political space, insisting that their numerical strength in the electorate must reflect in leadership and governance positions.
Ajulo made the call on Tuesday during an interview on Frontline, a current affairs programme on Eagle 102.5 FM, where he spoke on youth participation in governance, education reform, and Nigeria’s persistent implementation gaps.
He argued that although youths form the majority of voters across the country, they remain underrepresented in elective and appointive positions, attributing the trend to weak mobilisation rather than deliberate exclusion.
“The average percentage of voters in any society are youths… how come it is not youths that are emerging as leaders? It shows there is still a gap in mobilisation and strategic participation,” he said.
According to him, political power is not freely given but actively taken through structure, discipline and lawful engagement.
“It is your game, it is your business… power is not something that will be served to you a la carte, it is more like a buffet where you have to step forward and take what belongs to you within the confines of the law,” Ajulo said.
Beyond youth participation, the Ondo AG said Nigeria’s governance challenge lies more in implementation than in absence of policies or legal frameworks.
He maintained that the country is already “overburdened with laws,” but suffers from poor execution and weak political will.
“It is about implementation… sometimes you may even have the political will, but who is driving that implementation?” he asked.
Ajulo added that institutional inefficiency and personal interests often undermine policies designed to benefit citizens, especially young people.
The senior advocate also faulted Nigeria’s education system for placing excessive emphasis on certificates rather than competence and practical skills.
“The issue we have is that we place too much premium on certificates instead of competence,” he said, noting that emotional and social intelligence are equally important for success in modern society.
He proposed a curriculum structure with greater emphasis on practical learning.
“If I have my way, our educational curriculum should be about 80 percent practical and entrepreneurial, while 20 percent is theoretical,” he added.
Linking education to job creation, Ajulo stressed the need for entrepreneurship-driven training to address unemployment.
He also commended the Nigerian Bar Association under the leadership of Mazi Afam Osigwe for establishing a mentorship framework for young lawyers.
According to him, the initiative bridges the gap between theory and professional practice, particularly in the legal profession where many young practitioners enter without adequate exposure.
Ajulo further warned that Nigeria’s youth-focused policies are often undermined by poor enforcement, citing cases where institutional rules on age limits and recruitment are bypassed.
He said such practices deny younger Nigerians opportunities meant for them and worsen unemployment.
“These are the things we need to address because those positions are meant to create space for young people,” he said.
Speaking on reforms in the justice sector, Ajulo said the system is inherently youth-relevant since young people constitute the majority of justice users.
He disclosed that the state increased the number of judges from 24 to 35 to reduce case backlog and improve access to justice.
He also noted that over 270 young lawyers were engaged as volunteer legal aides to support justice delivery.
Ajulo reiterated that Nigeria’s progress depends on effective implementation of policies and proper engagement of its youthful population.
“At the end of the day, it still comes back to implementation, if we channel the energy of our young people properly, we will unlock a lot of potential in this country,” he said.
Leave a Reply